Fixing Messes
by Phantom1s
Summary: Hermione Weasley discovers how to go back and stop the War with Voldemort and World War III, saving her family and the world. She need the help of her brother, Harry James Potter. Pairing are HP/GW, RW/HG, SB/?, RL/OFC then RL/NT, AD/MM too.
1. Prologue:

**A/N 1: Hello everyone. After one hell of a bout of writers block, I sat down to read this story and realized that the grammar sucks. So being the English teacher that I know I can be, I pulled out the red marker and went to town. So here is the newly revised story. **

**A/N 2: I also went thru and found a name for the story as well. With that said, enjoy.**

**Phantom1s**

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><p>Prologue:<p>

Hermione Jane Weasley was old. She was 179 years old. She had children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even great-great-grandchildren. She had been called the smartest witch of her generation when she was a student. Years later, she was called the smartest witch since Rowena Ravenclaw. She was the level headed part of the Golden Trio. However, what she was planning on doing was crazy, no it was absolutely insane. She was going to travel through time and fix the past. Since her husband Ronald died twenty-five years ago, she had been planning this. She knew she had to fix what went wrong.

Too many people had died in the _Great Wizarding War_, which is what the war with Voldemort was called nowadays. Even more people died in the Third World War thirty-five years after she helped end the _Great Wizarding War_. Her family and friends stood at the forefront of both wars, and they paid the price over the years. Lily Potter, James Potter, Fred Weasley, Remus and Nymphadora Lupin, Albus Dumbledore, Sirius Black, Severus Snape, and Colin Creevey died fighting Voldemort. Albus Severus Potter, Hugo Weasley, Scorpius Malfoy, Arthur Weasley II, Teddy Lupin, and many members of that generation died in World War III and its aftermath.

They died because the Ministry of Magic of Great Britain failed in its duty to protect the information that allowed Voldemort to almost win the first time. Instead of sending Tom Riddle's body and all of his research, notes, and books through the Archway of the Dead in the Department of Mysteries, some idiot decided to study them because they thought _'What harm can a book be?'_

With the help of her sisters-in-law Fleur, Angelina, and Audrey Weasley, Hermione researched time travel and who had been the reason the world came crashing down. It was an academic idiot it turned out who did not have the common sense he was born with. On the tenth anniversary of the end of the _Great Wizarding War_, someone stole the notes and research on Tom Riddle from his unlocked work bench in his workroom in his house.

Armed with the information that had taken so long to get, Hermione knew she could now correct the mistakes made by herself and others so many years ago. But she needed help. The only person who could help her was Harry Potter, who happened to be the most powerful magician alive, both politically as well as magically, though he downplayed both facts.

Harry Potter had been given many different names and titles over the years. '_The-Boy-Who-Lived',_ when he was baby_ 'The Man-Who-Defeated-Voldemort'_ after the end of the Great Wizarding War were some of the best the media could come up with when he was younger. However those were not the only titles he was given. In his lifetime he would be given many titles that meant a lot to many people: _Prince Gryffindor of Gryffindor, Head Auror, Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement for the Ministry of Magic of Great Britain, General in His Majesties Army, Supreme Allied Commander of the United Earth Military, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot of the United Earth Government, Professor, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, _and of course_ The Most Powerful Magical Being Alive._

However, the titles Harry loved best were _Husband, Father, Uncle, Grandfather, Friend, and Brother_. It was the last title that Hermione needed. She needed her brother in order to make this crazy plan work. First she needed Harry to tell her she was not crazy. Whenever Hermione would go off the rails, Harry had always been the one that brought her back. If Harry said Hermione was crazy, she would give up her quest. However, she knew Harry wanted this as much a she did.

Hermione also needed Harry to power the runes and the spells needed, and then she needed him to help her fix what had broken. Though they learned about how politically powerful he has was later in life, if they went back now, Harry would be in a position to make real changes that needed to be made in order to protect their family, the country, and their world from not only humankind, but from those things that man had created.

The problem was that Harry Potter was sick. Harry had been diagnosed with what the mundanes called _Lou Gehrig's Disease. _While devastating to a mundane human, for a magical, it was much worse. While the loss of motor control is the same between mundane and magical, in magical people they also lose control of their magic, often times killing themselves and others before _Lou Gehrig's Disease_ got worse. While this could be bad for any magical, Harry being Harry made this condition much worse.

After the _Great Wizarding War_, one of the things the Ministry did was develop the ranking system of magical power and required everyone be tested when the first entered Hogwarts and when they graduated. For those who had already left Hogwarts, they were tested within the first year the ranking system existed. The highest level for a normal magical was that of Grand Sorcerer/Sorceress. Compared to a standard English Witch or Wizard, a Grand Sorcerer/Sorceress was two-hundred times more powerful than them. The Ministry also ranked Elementals. These were magicals who could control the elements at will. The highest level for an elemental was Grand Elemental Sorcerer/Sorceress. Elementals were very rare. In fact the last known elemental was the son of Perenelle and Nicholas Flamel during the 15th century.

Harry had been officially ranked as both a _Grand Sorcerer and Grand Elemental Sorcerer, _the first magical since Merlin to be powerful in both magics. In reality Harry blew the charts off both tests. No one knew just how powerful Harry was, it was thought by many including Hermione, that Harry had no limit to his magic. That was why Harry being diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease was dangerous. His magic could possibly destroy the world if Harry could not control it. Harry's magic could, and had on more than one occasion, destroyed entire buildings when his disease first manifested itself.

Thanks to Modern Mundane Medicine, _Lou Gehrig's Disease_ was curable and had been almost eradicated. The trick was early detection and treatment, which Harry could not receive as he had been a noble hero when he should have been taking care of himself. This was something that Hermione had vowed to take care of one day.

Because of the advancement of _Lou Gehrig's Disease_ in Harry, Harry's oldest son, James Sirius Potter at the age 143 years old, serving as the Governor of the British Isles and Lord of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter, had ordered his father placed in a special isolation room in Saint Mungo's Hospital so that he would not kill anyone accidently. The room was bare marble with runes and enchantments cast by James and many others including his own father while he had control of himself to protect the world from Harry. Harry could be heard muttering some nights about starting out life in a closet and dying in a closet.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, Hermione shifted, a method of transportation Harry invented which was much better the apparition, to Saint Mungo's and outside of Harry's room. Knowing that she no longer cared if she died, she was determined to ask Harry for his help and let the consequences be damned. After all, she was dying anyway. A broken heart and too many duels was finally catching up with her.

The floor Harry was on was sealed; in order to access Harry you had to have the approvals of the Chief of Staff and James Potter in writing with a blood quill. On top of that, the wards had to allow you in. Since the wards were smart wards, a Potter/Weasley/Gryffindor Corp invention, thanks to Hermione, they would monitor the area inside and determine if it was safe. If it was not safe, the wards would not lower. As Hermione had designed the wards, they were no trouble for her to bypass without alerting anyone. As for the others spells and enchantments, well…James Sirius Potter and the others might have cast the spells, but Hermione Weasley had double checked the calculations herself. Besides, she had been an Unspeakable for many years and worked on magic much harder than this.

Finally after five minutes Hermione stepped into Harry's marble tomb. Though James Sirius called it a room, Harry and Hermione called it what it really was, tomb. Harry had ordered James Sirius to build it so that when the time came, it would be sealed forever. No one would have to try and enter the tomb to retrieve his body when he died. On one of his last good days outside St. Mungo's Harry had already dug the spot where his tomb would live. Harry…and Hermione…had turned into very strange people after they hit 150 years old.

"Brother, I need your help." Hermione said as she kneeled next to Harry's bed, a simple marble slab. Harry turned to see his sister and smiled. It was not the smile of someone who was losing control of himself, but that of a brother looking at his sister.

"You know something Hermione, you got old. You look like Minnie McGonagall with your hair up and those glasses." Harry smirked. "All you need is the tartan colored robes. You even are a feline animagus like her."

"If I look like Minerva, then you look like a bald Albus Dumbledore." Hermione said. It was true, Harry had a very long white beard that challenged Dumbledore's, with thick white eyebrows, and sparkling green eyes. However, there was not an ounce of hair on his head.

"You're all old and wrinkled like a raisin as well. To top it off you are still flat on your back with no one here to take care of you while I still am walking around and was propositioned again the other day by a healthy ninety-eight year old. Of course I told him no, that I was married."

Harry sighed, he lost this round of their game. "You win Hermione." Harry sat up and hugged his sister. "What brings you here today?"

"I wanted to see my brother. What is wrong with that?" Hermione said.

"Hermione, you came in the middle of the night, and bypassed every single security spell. You wanted to make sure that no one knew that you are here." Harry said, knowing he won the next round that hadn't even started yet.

"How did you know?" Hermione asked.

"Just because I am losing my mind and control of myself, does not mean that I am helpless yet. Besides, I helped construct the wards around not only my room, but Saint Mungo's as well." Harry said. "I knew the second you shifted."

"Point taken."

"So why are you here?" Harry looked at his sister for moment before realization dawned on him. "You did it, didn't you?" Harry asked quietly.

"Yes. Fleur was able to get the last piece of information I needed from Bill's portrait yesterday. She went and etched the runes herself last night under the blood moon."

"What's the catch? You aren't here to say goodbye."

Hermione sighed. "I need to know if this is the right thing to do. Harry you have been my compass for too many years, I need you to tell me right now if this is a bad idea."

Harry looked at his god-sister. "It is absolutely insane Hermione."

Hermione's face fell until Harry spoke again. "What do you need me to do?"

"What?" Hermione asked, shocked.

"Hermione, insane is what we do. I mean three first years took down a troll. A small runt killed a basilisk and saved his future wife, you and Ron got married. I mean if those things are not insane, then I have no idea what is."

Hermione smiled, with tears in her eyes and hugged the sick man in front of her tightly before getting down to business. "I need you to power the runes. The problem is that if this fails, the island, and maybe half the planet will be destroyed and we'll die from the backlash. That is why I wanted to use _Ginny's Place_."

_Ginny's Place_ was an island Harry and Ginny bought after her rookie season with the Holyhead Harpies when they went undefeated and won not only the European Quidditch League Cup, but the International Quidditch League World Championship which had been played in Switzerland. The island was located in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean far away from anyone and anything. The island itself was the size of Scotland and had fresh water and wild life.

Harry, as _Supreme Allied Commander of the United Earth Military,_ ran large portions of World War III from _Ginny's Place_ with his Generals and Commanders at various locations all over the world. Harry had needed to heal Ginny's wounds after she was injured by the other side and required Harry's magic and lots of time to heal her.

The other reason Hermione wanted to use _Ginny's Place_ was that it was so well warded that no one could get breech the wards to stop her. Thanks to it being considered _The Fallout _Shelter for the Allies during World War III, it was layered with literally thousands of wards, spells, enchantments, and magics. Many of the runes, spells, and magics she had used were dark and outlawed by the UEG Charter because they required the sacrifice of sentient life forms or blood, or other items that were considered morally wrong. Though being Hermione, she had written loopholes into the Charter to get out of trouble if she needed them. One of the loopholes she used was regarding blood magic given by the sacrifice of an intelligent creature. Instead of killing innocents, like Dark Magic often required, she had asked for volunteers and had gotten them. They included house elves, goblins, centaurs, mundanes who had terminal diseases, and one of her stillborn great-great-grandchildren.

"Do you think this is going to work?" Harry asked.

"It has to Harry. I can't live without Ron any longer and you miss Ginny just as much. I really wish that we completed the Soul Bonding, that way we would have been with them already." Hermione cried softly. She never had gotten over losing Ron.

"Then we need to hurry. I do not know how long I'll stay in control. Especially if I need to summon all of my magic" Harry said.

"Then let's go." Hermione said standing up.

"I need to make a couple of stops first." Harry said. "In case this does not work."

"I know, so do I." Hermione said as she touched Harry's hand as he shifted them out of the tomb he had placed himself in. As they shifted, Harry cast a spell that caused all the enchantments and spells that were cast on the tomb to fail.

The Governor of the British Isles, Lord James Sirius Potter was in the middle of another boring meeting when he felt the wards shatter around his father room. James Sirius closed his eyes and concentrated on his father and his favorite aunt. He found them together in the Godric's Hollow Cemetery. Using his magic James Sirius spied on them and saw them kneeling in front of a matched pair of graves that read the name of Potter on the headstone; knowing who they were visiting, he gave them their privacy and pulled away from them and returned to his meeting.

Quickly deciding he needed help, Governor Potter left his meeting abruptly and returned to his office where he contacted his cousin Louis Weasley, Lord of the Noble House of Weasley, through his computer. "Lou, my father and Aunt Hermione are doing it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. They are at Godric's Hollow saying goodbye to my grandparents and to Hermione's father Remus. I would assume they will also say goodbye to mum and Uncle Ron." James Sirius said.

"Should we stop them?"

"The brightest witch since Rowena Ravenclaw herself in the form of our aunt, who is one of the most determined witches to ever live if you remember correctly, as well as the most powerful magical ever in the form of my father who only listened to five women in his life? I don't think so. I say leave them alone and pray for them." James Sirius said.

"I'll lower the wards around the Burrow and the Cemetery then." Louis said.

"People still trying to see where the Weasley Clan is buried?"

"Yes. I have spoken to Caleb Longbottom, Uncle Neville's grandson, and he said he going to look into it."

"Keep me posted." James Sirius said as he shut down his screen. He turned and looked out his window, a real window that looked over London, and sent out a prayer to whatever entity god was. "Please god, take care of them, no matter where they wind up."

Harry and Hermione appeared at Godric's Hollow Cemetery. Over the years, the township of Godric's Hollow grew in size, and so did the Cemetery. However, today they were there to see some of the older residents of the cemetery: The Potters and Lupins, their parents.

Shortly after the _Great Wizarding War_, Hermione and Ron went to Australia to find Hermione's parents. When they did, they discovered that John and Carol Granger were not her biological parents. As part of the charm to find them in Australia, the Australian Ministry asked Hermione for a drop of her blood. She gave it and was shocked to discover that she was not the daughter of John and Carol Granger, but of Remus and Nicole Lupin. She even more shocked to discover that there had been a missing child's report put out on her in 1980 that went unanswered.

Demanding answers and threatening to call a very pissed off Harry Potter, the Ministry tracked down the Wilkins, the name Hermione gave them when she wiped their memories. After their memories were restored they were doused with veritaserum.

Come to find out the Grangers had found Hermione abandoned in a park near their home when she was barely three weeks old. They brought her home and pretended that Carol had carried to term. When they discovered she was magical, they both knew what they had to do. The child would have to be separated from normal people, no matter the cost. After Hermione's first year of school, they asked the Weasleys to look after her. They used excuses like work, but they wanted the freak away from them. They would take her on what they called 'vacations', during the summer, but never spent time with her.

Hermione finally asked the Ministry to wipe their memories and make them into the Wilkins again. With that done, Hermione dropped her last name and became Hermione Jane Lupin. They returned to England and never thought about the Grangers or the Wilkins again.

After a lot of digging, Hermione discovered that Remus had married a very nice Ravenclaw named Nicole Johnson three days after they graduated from Hogwarts. Evidently she did not care about Remus being a werewolf. They were happy and in love and gave birth to their daughter Hermione the following year. According to reports from the Ministry, Nicole Lupin was killed by Death Eaters when she tried to step in and stop them torturing some muggles. Hermione had never been found and was presumed dead.

Since then every Halloween, Hermione came with Harry to visit their parents, as Nicole had been buried here as well. A headstone had been placed here for Sirius and one for Albus Dumbledore so that Harry could speak to all of them at once.

However on this trip Harry spoke to only one grave after his parents.

"Hello Angel." Harry said. "Well Hermione did it, she can send us back. I wanted you to know so that when I don't show up for a while, you'll know why. I love you baby." Before leaving, Harry removed the ice and snow from the headstone and kissed it before leaving two roses and a single lily on the headstone of his late wife: Ginny Potter.

Once they finished at Godric's Hollow, they moved onto Ottery St. Catchpole, the home of the Weasley Family. After losing Fred in the Battle of Hogwarts, Arthur and Bill Weasley cast the spells to create a cemetery on the grounds of the Burrow. Since then every Weasley male and many of the Weasley wives had been buried in the cemetery. Molly Weasley was buried there alongside her Arthur as well, in fact the only Weasleys who were not buried there were Ginny and the other seven 'Weasley Women'. They were the daughters of the Noble House of Weasley and were buried with their husbands.

Hermione entered the cemetery and walked to Ron's grave and sat down. Next to his grave sat a permanently conjured chair for her to sit on which she did every day for an hour. Everyone knew that she never recovered from the cold hearted murder of her husband. When Ronald died, everyone first thought it was old age. Ron had survived the Voldemort War, played twenty-seven seasons as Keeper of the Chudley Canons, and was an active auror during that entire time. When he retired, he did so not because of age, but because he accepted a commission as a General in the His Majesties Royal Army by Supreme Commander Lord Harry James Potter at the start of World War III.

World War III marked the end of the International Statue of Secrecy, mainly because if not for the magicals in America, the British Commonwealth, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Israel, China, and the Unified Korea then the war would have been lost and the world sent into darkness for a thousand years. Supreme Commander Potter and General Weasley personally lead the liberation of Russia atop of a flight of dragons with goblins, centaurs, house elves, magicals, and mundanes in the army below them.

After the war Ron and Harry returned to Scotland and Hogwarts where they taught with their wives. Harry taught Defense Against the Dark Arts, Law, and Government while Ron taught Charms, Dueling, and Self Defense. The nine year war was the longest stretch that the either men had been away from their wives since they were eleven years old. Both wives had remained at Hogwarts during the war and made sure that the children there were safe and educated. They did this by calling upon the Order of the Phoenix as their leaders.

Mere weeks after Ron was buried, Hermione began to believe that his death had been murder. Ron had said that someone had been following him and asking questions about him. Though long retired, Ron was still an auror and still investigated crimes when he felt like it. After pondering what was going on, Hermione finally asked Harry to investigate formally. Because of his many titles, Harry had remained an active auror since he was seventeen years old.

After five months of work, Harry found out who killed Ron. Hermione and he killed the bastard in his sleep one night. Cormac McClaggen never knew what hit him when his house was flattened by a freak meteor strike. When the remains of his house and offices were searched, the missing journals of Voldemort were discovered. It seemed that McClaggen had found them when he was freelancing as a mercenary after WWIII in South America where they had remained in the hands of the Dark Lady who almost did what Voldemort could never do, kill Harry.

"Ronnie, I've done it, I figured out how to go back in time with Harry. We can save everyone including my father and you. We can stop McClaggen before he starts searching for Voldemort's texts and we can stop the Dark Lady from coming to power. We can save so many lives! Anyway, we can't stay long. I love you Ronnie." Hermione said before cleaning off his husband's headstone and leaving a dozen orange flowers behind.

That done, the two of them shifted to _Ginny's Place _on the other side of the world.

As soon as they arrived, Hermione went to work finishing her preparations while Harry began to summon all of his magic, making sure it was ready when Hermione needed it.

After sealing the last runes, Hermione crossed to Harry, who was sitting Indian style while floating five feet in the air.

"Harry, are you ready?

"Yes. What do you need me to do?"

"Let your magic flow out of you and cover the runes. Let it be absorbed by the runes and the ground." Hermione said.

Harry did as he was told and released his magic. For the first time in almost two centuries, Harry let his magic consciously go, removing all blocks on it. Hermione felt the runes powering up and getting ready.

"Harry, have you even reached your core?"

"No."

"We need the explosion Harry. I want you to reach deep within yourself and pull your magical core to the surface. I'll do the same thing."

Harry nodded and willed his core to move to just beneath the surface of his skin. His magic began to burn at his skin, but Harry ignored it as he continued to pull it up. Finally he could pull it no more and told that to Hermione.

"Ok Harry, this is going to hurt, a lot. I am going to activate the last set of runes, they are soul banishment runes. These will force our souls out of our bodies. As soon as that happens, our cores should explode. The explosion and the runes that are drawn should open a temporal portal to our eleven year old selves."

That had been the hardest part of this plan, was how to jump back in time but remain in this reality. There had many cases where a magical could jump to a new reality and time, but that was not what Hermione wanted.

"Do you have a plan?" Harry asked as he tried to keep himself together.

"Yes. Relax and let me do this." Hermione said before she activated the last rune which indeed caused more pain than she ever felt in her life as her soul was ripped from her body. Hermione looked from above her body as Harry's soul exited his body. As soon as his soul was free, Harry's body exploded atomizing everything within a thousand miles of him instantly. Right before this happened; the runes did their job and opened the portal. The magical blast wave spread out including into the portal. The portal, a black hole really, pulled all matter and energy into it, including their souls. As soon as their souls were sucked into the Black Hole, it sealed itself and the world that existed mere moments before disappeared into nothingness for the Prince of Gryffindor and his sister were sitting the world straight.


	2. Chapter 1: The Arrival

Chapter 1: The Arrival

July 29th, 1991

Little Whinging Surrey

#4 Privet Drive

When Hermione first began to talk about time travel, she had no idea where they would end up precisely. She knew that they would arrive around the end of July of 1991 and it would be in their old bodies. The other question she could not answer was if Harry would bring his disease back with him. So one of the things Hermione committed to memory right away was how to treat and cure Harry in case she needed to do it. She had told him that she was planning on using the cure as an inoculation on them anyway.

When Harry opened his eyes and saw the cupboard he had lived in, he knew it worked and that was not suffering from Lou Gehrig's, yet. Casting the tempus charm wandlessly, Harry knew he had precious few minutes before his _'family'_ awoke and made his life hell. He quickly dropped into the meditative state he used when working on his internal magic like the mind arts and his animagus transformations and began to work. He accessed the largest part of his magical core and pulled it out of the deep pit that it had rested in for most of his life and placed it below his heart where it was supposed to go.

One of the things Harry learned after the Voldemort War was that he was lucky to be alive. When Tom struck him with the Killing Curse as a child, Harry's magical core shattered but thankfully remained inside his body. The largest piece dropped down to below the pit of his stomach while others bounced around his body, wedging themselves in different locations. When he entered Hogwarts and began to learn magic, one of the larger fragments served as his core. Because it so much smaller than what his core should have been, he looked much thinner and did not have the reserves he should. However, this piece of his core was still larger than many other people his age.

Four months after defeating Tom Riddle, Harry was in Finland on walkabout. He had left England five days after he woke from the final battle, and Ginny, determined to find himself. He made it three miles from Hogwarts before Ginny apparated to his side, swearing never to leave him to his own devices again. Agreeing, they set off.

Together they traveled through Europe looking as Harry later put it _'Himself and His Goal in Life'_. Thanks to their search, they met many interesting people, including an ancient nomadic warlock who traveled with his village all over the frozen lands of Northern Finland and Scandinavia. It took the couple over a month to track down the nomadic tribe, but realized afterwards it had been worth it.

They went looking for the ancient warlock after speaking to the leader of Gnome Confederation who they met in a bar one afternoon in Amsterdam. The gnome, whose name was Othello, told Harry that there was something different with him and that he should speak to the old man because he could give Harry the answers he needed.

Finally tracking the warlock down and learning his language, because the translation charms did not work, the old man, whom had no name told Harry what was wrong. "The magic within you is like shattered ice." The old man said to Harry. "You must gather them all and place them back together to heal."

It took days for Ginny and Harry to figure out what the old man meant, and then almost another month to track down someone who could help Harry. They finally travelled to South America where a Medicine Man taught Harry and Ginny what he called _'Internal Magic'_ and how to fix Harry's core. _'Internal Magic'_ was any magic that continued within the person: Occlumency, Legilimency, Mindspeech, Metamorphmagus, the augmentation of muscles, reflexes, and the ability to control and strengthen one's magical core was included in this rare discipline. The Medicine Man also explained that magic was not about silly words and wand movements, but about concentration, imagining what you wanted magic to do, desire, purpose, and power.

There was also faith. Faith that magic would do what you needed it to do. Faith that one's concentration, desire, and purpose were true. This was what so many of the _'Modern'_ witches and wizards today seemed to forget about, along with remembering that magic was alive and in many ways had a consciousness all its own.

"_Magic does not think like you, or me, or the birds in the sky, or the animals in the forests, or the elements of the earth. Magic thinks by instinct. If magic feels that there is not balance, magic creates balance by changing inside us. You cannot connect with your magic because it is broken."_ The Medicine Man said. Harry also thought that it was funny that with the translation spell he spoke English with a welsh accent.

Harry learned how to take the fragments of his core and place them back where they belonged and how to weld them together. This also included the remaining magic that resided in Harry's scar from Tom Riddle. Luckily when Harry fell to the second Avada Kedavra, only the soul sliver was shattered and removed, not his own soul, magic, or the magic that had been embedded in the scar. Harry also learned that because of his time doing complex and powerful magic, his core was considerably larger than anyone else's.

With their quest complete, Harry and Ginny returned to England where Ginny returned to Hogwarts, considerably later than the opening feast, and Harry began to learn from the portraits of Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape while serving as an Assistant Professor under the direct order of Headmistress McGonagall. One of the first discussions they had was about Harry's core. After discussions with everyone they could think of, including Merlin, whose frame was somewhere only Severus knew about and refused to tell anyone the location, they came to the conclusion that the Avada Kedavra Curse had shattered his core and that the prophecy and Lily's Sacrifice had protected him from dying or even becoming a squib.

Harry climbed out of his memories just as he subconsciously finished pulling his core together. One of the benefits of internal magic like what Harry was doing was that time had no meaning once you understood the concepts and let go of everything you ever learned before. Taking a deep breath, Harry accessed his freshly rebuilt core, including the magic from his scar and began to heal his body.

A magical's body, unlike a mundane's, grew and survived off of magic. Magicals used food, drink and sleep to regenerate their magic, however if a magical was exposed to enough constant magic, then they would not need to worry about them. With a healthy 10, almost 11 year old body, Harry began to do the last thing he needed to do before leaving Privet Drive forever.

Dumbledore had built an escape plan into the wards when he erected them. If Harry ever felt his life was threatened, the failsafe would send Harry to Hogwarts, to the Headmaster's private chambers where Harry would be safe. It would also alert Dumbledore to the problem. Albus built in one other feature to these wards; the master Wardstone also had the ability to record emotions and store them. When the failsafe was activated, the master Wardstone would be sent to Hogwarts as well and the wards around Privet Drive would collapse so that the Headmaster could 'feel' the emotions within the house and who they were directed at.

Harry connected with the wards and activated the failsafe just as his Uncle Vernon Dursley ripped open the door to the cupboard, intending to drag the freak out to _'earn his keep.'_ With a whole core, though still fragile, Harry could now do what Dumbledore told him should have happened the first time he was injured by his _'family'_ Harry reached out and connected with the wards around Privet Drive and activated the failsafe. Moments later Harry was gone from Privet Drive never to return.

July 29th, 1991

Nottingham, England

#17 Park Valley

Hermione awoke from the most terrifying nightmare she had ever experienced. She was an old lady and had planned on committing suicide if an idea she had did not work.

'_Oh my, I did not have a nightmare! It really happened! We did it!'_ Hermione jumped out her childhood bed and began to make a plan, muttering all the way while she got dressed for day, much like the way she did from the age of eleven.

"I need to find Remus, and make sure he is healthy…then I need to make sure Harry is safe. Knowing him, he is in the middle of some serious trouble. I swear him and Ron…Ronnie! My Ronald is alive! I need to go see him and kiss him and have him hold me…" Hermione began to think about all the things she and Ron would do in her mind until she looked in the mirror and saw her eleven year old self.

"First thing I need to do is get control of my emotions and remember I'm eleven years old again first." Hermione muttered before deciding to meditate for a few minutes to get her head straight. Mediation was one of the things she learned from her father's journals after she learned the truth. All of his things were placed in storage in his Gringotts Vault. Though there was not a lot of money, there were hundreds of books and journals. Harry and Hermione spent many hours reading the journals. It had been Remus' wish that Hermione, Harry, and any children Sirius had would grow up together and be siblings, or at least close cousins.

The journals on mediation talked about how Remus was able to control the werewolf inside of him during different times of the month, except for the full moon. For Hermione, meditating helped her develop a very unique way to perform occlumency that she was able to teach others. It also calmed her mind and allowed her subconscious to sort out what she was stressing over.

Over the years, Hermione was able to drop into her meditative state very quickly and learned how to channel her internal magic better, thanks to Harry and Ginny. She quickly found her core and saw that McGonagall's temporary bindings were in place and were pretty strong. Judging by the strength of the bond, Hermione must have received her Hogwarts letter and a visit from her favorite professor in the last few days.

Concentrating on the bindings, Hermione began to deconstruct the bindings, only to find she could not do it, McGonagall was a powerful witch after all. She knew she could not use brute force either because it was locked away so she looked for the third option.

One of the only rules about internal magic was that _Mind Always Beat Matter_. The stronger a person is mentally, the better they could control their magic internally. Grinning, Hermione imagined her core covered grease and watched as the bindings '_slid'_ right off and float away outside of her body. As soon as this happened, Hermione saw and felt her core begin to grow.

'_I must have brought at least a part of my core back with me.'_ Hermione thought as her core grew and begin to look somewhat unstable. Quickly deciding on a course of action, Hermione molded her core into a three dimensional star, which she hoped would keep it stable. Knowing she had to wait to use any magic, Hermione opened her eyes and continued to plan out what she needed to do.

"I need to get to Diagon Alley and get all my books back…well not all my books, just the Hogwarts books, the books I got about the Ministry, and of course I need to get the secret Unspeakable Book. After that I need to get a hold of Gringotts and get an inheritance ritual and then speak to Zeus in the Department and make sure that they will not get in our way. Because the Department knows Time Travel is possible, they have General Order 97 which I plan on using. Harry and I also need to get dad and Sirius together and healthy, but that means breaking Sirius out of Azkaban or convincing Fudge. I would rather break into Azkaban, again. And this time we'd be dealing with dementors too…I still would rather deal with them than Fudge."

Hermione continued to mutter until she heard Carol Granger call up to her. "Hermione! Breakfast!"

That stopped Hermione in her shoes cold. She was not their daughter! John and Carol Granger had abducted her! Remus should have raised his daughter! In that moment, the calm, cool Hermione Jane Granger died and the impulsive, stubborn Hermione Jane Lupin-Potter-Black-Gryffindor-Slytherin-Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff-Dumbledore and one-day soon Weasley was reborn like a phoenix.

"I need to get the hell out of this place. I need to go back to where I actually belong." Deciding what she needed to do, Hermione quickly packed the only things that she cared about; her teddy bear, her Hogwarts letter, the only clothes she ever bought herself thanks to a babysitting job, her old baby blanket, and her leather bomber jacket into an old duffle-bag of hers. She quickly changed into jeans, her hiking boots and good thick shirt that would hold up if things got dicey. Once done, she grabbed the bag and made her way downstairs. She walked into the kitchen and looked directly at her _parents._

"Going somewhere pumpkin? The train does not leave for at least another month." Carol Granger said.

"Why would you care?" Hermione asked.

"Because we are your parents" John Granger asked.

"You are not you're my parents! My parents are Remus John Lupin and Nicole Jennifer Lupin! You found me in a park shortly after my mother was killed!"

"How do you know?"

"Because I can do magic! When the professor placed the bindings on me, she also unlocked some of my earliest memories accidently; along with some of my abilities, including the ability to read minds!"

This froze the Grangers cold in their tracks. Not only did she know, but she used some of her unholy abilities on them too. Well at least she said she did, she might be lying. She is an unholy devil after all.

"You believe that not only am I a freak, but unholy freak who will burn in hell!" Hermione had been a Master Legilimens in her past life, add to the fact that most mundanes had no mental defenses, reading the Granger's minds was really easy to do.

"Well guess what, when I leave, the _unnatural freak_, I'll be going out to find my _real father_. And when I do, I am going to make sure the full force of the law is brought down on your heads!" Hermione screamed, finally losing her self-control.

"You will not you little brat!" John Granger yelled. "You are a little girl who is upset that you are a child of the devil! When the devil's whore entered our home, we could not cleanse her, but we shall cleanse you with eternal flame and make you into an avatar of god. We shall send you into the viper's den and cleanse them all! Then and only then will you be able to return our god!"

Hermione smirked; Harry was not the only member of the family to master wandless magic in their pasts. He was just the only one who could do _**ANY SPELL**_without a wand. Hermione had needed a wand for some of the more powerful and complex spells, but that was all.

"Flames, you want to see flames? Well all you had to do is ask." And with that Hermione turned and cast a wandless _Incendio_ spell towards the formal dining room which had antique furniture that was over two hundred years old. John Granger had said that his family had cared for this set since it was made. As soon as she saw the spell begin to burn everything in the room, Hermione gathered her magic and apparated out of the house and towards the Shrieking Shack; the safest place she could think of that she knew she could get to.

As soon as she arrived, she collapsed to the ground in pain. Her core was still not stable and her wandless spell had damaged her core slightly. On top of that, she was magically exhausted because of apparating, which was really bad for someone with a damaged core to boot. With a supreme effort, Hermione activated the emergency ward Sirius Black and James Potter built around the Shrieking Shack for Remus Lupin to signal if he was ever in trouble. As blackness began to surround her, she hoped help would come soon.


	3. Chapter 2: Dealing With Family

Chapter 2: Dealing With Family

Harry arrived in the Headmaster's private chambers at Hogwarts, just as the wards around Privet Drive were designed to do. As soon as he arrived, Harry felt the magic that made up Hogwarts wrap around him like warm blanket. He never felt the wards and magic before thanks to his damaged core and because of that he could not take advantage of his birthright as the Heir of Gryffindor.

"I missed you old girl. You were never the same after the bomb went off above you." Harry said.

The last battle of World War III that happened in the United Kingdom was in Hogsmeade. The Axis Powers had learned, incorrectly, that the Allied Forces new Supreme Commander was staying in a secure location in Scotland. After weeks of work, the Axis Powers learned that whatever shielding was protecting the Supreme Commander, it was stronger than anything they had ever seen.

So the Axis Powers decided to strike with one of the few weapons that could cause a lot of damage in a small amount of time. A Thermonuclear Device. Taking a page from the Allied Powers of World War II, they fly over Scotland and released the bomb from a modified Airbus A380 aircraft. The bomb detonated directly over Hogwarts Castle.

Supreme Commander Potter never wished to endanger the lives of those who dwelled within Hogwarts, so instead of using Hogwarts and her magic to aid in the war, he stayed away, using Ginny's Place as he main command center. That idea worked well and good until the Allied spies discovered what the Axis Powers were planning. In what became the first Joint Mundane-Magical Mission of the Third World War, Commander Potter and his men set an ambush for the Axis. Harry had the Headmistress take all the children in the school into the Chamber of Secrets, which Harry had personally cleaned and redesigned to be used as a bomb shelter. The wards around Hogwarts were strengthened and added to. Huge cannons and other weapons were placed in the valley as well as three brigades of troops, aircraft, and everything Harry would need.

When the Axis' plane was spotted, Harry ordered his men to open fire. They managed to drop their payload before they crashed. When the bomb exploded, some of the radiation leaked through the wards, endangering those who were within and below the castle, Hogwarts reached out with her own consciousness and magic and wrapped the radiation up before sending it high into the sky and towards the sun where the radiation no longer could do any harm.

Harry discovered later what Hogwarts did and what the sacrifice had cost her to save the innocents deep underneath her footings. The stairs and many things in the castle never seemed to work quite right again. Hogwarts also felt very cold many people, all except Harry.

When Harry delivered the remains of the flight crew to Axis Headquarters in Brazil via portkey, he sent a note with them. The note was taken seriously and the Axis Powers never once attempted to attack the United Kingdom again. It was this battle that caused Ron to join the war in full force along with the magical world.

Harry's thoughts about the war and the aftermath were stopped when Albus Dumbledore entered through the door that led to the Headmaster's Office. The Headmaster had the Elder Wand in hand and looking at Harry in alarm. Without any thought, Harry's magic called out for the Deathly Hallows, as he was the Master of Death no matter the time period.

The Elder Wand snapped out of Albus' hand and landed in Harry's hand, a moment later, the Cloak of Invisibility came flying out of a closet. Knowing Harry had a little time before the Resurrection Stone arrived, Harry cast a petrification spell on Albus; he didn't want to hurt the headmaster if he tried something stupid. Then he summoned Gideon, the Sorting Hat so that he would have what he needed in order to deal with the horcrux that was on its way.

"Gideon, I need my ancestor's sword please." Harry asked the hat.

"It would be my pleasure Mr. Potter, but I need you to place me on your head first." Gideon said. "You must be sorted. It is in the rules, even if Hogwarts has welcomed you."

"Very well, but hurry. There is a horcrux on its way here right now." Harry said before he placed the hat on, never bothering to see Dumbledore's eyes widen at the mention of the horcrux.

'_Well Supreme Commander Potter-Gryffindor, it seems that you and your blood sister are here to fix some major mistakes.' _ Gideon said.

'_That's about right. Now, can I get my damn sword?'_

'_Of course, and something else as well.'_

"I dub Harry James Potter thee Gryffindor of Gryffindor, Heir to Godric of Gryffindor, Lord and Master of this land." Gideon said before Harry felt the familiar thump on top of his head.

Harry quickly pulled Gideon off his head before he grabbed the hilt of his sword and pulled it out of the hat. Harry felt the magic and control of the wards around Hogwarts settle in his chest as the wards told him something had crossed them.

Summoning his magic, Harry channeled it into the sword in his hands and watched as the

Resurrection Stone slammed through a closed window and head straight for him. Harry simply swung his sword and cleaved the Slytherin Signet Ring apart. The Resurrection Stone continued past Harry into the wall behind him while the ring fell to the ground. Where they were separated a green cloud remained. Harry quickly grabbed the cloud with one hand, compressed it into a tight solid ball the size of a billiard ball, and held it out in front of him. Fawkes appeared in a burst of flames, grabbed the ball with his talons, and destroyed the dark soul fragment.

With his work done, Harry fell into a nearby chair and noticed that the Headmaster was staring at Harry. "Ok, this has not gone according to plan. Albus, if I release you, do you swear that you will sit down and listen to me?"

Dumbledore only nodded.

Harry waved his hand and watched as the aging headmaster collapsed into the chair that Harry had conjured at the same time that he released him. As soon as he was in the chair, Albus noticed that the chair walked over to the table and settled next to Harry's chair.

"My proper name and title is Supreme Commander Lord Harry James Potter, Prince Gryffindor of Gryffindor. In my life I have held many titles: Head Auror, Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement for the Ministry of Magic of Great Britain, General in His Majesties Army, Supreme Allied Commander of the United Earth Military, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot of the United Earth Government, Professor, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, The Boy Who Lived, The Man Who Defeated Voldemort, and of course The Most Powerful Magical Being Alive. However, the titles I love best are Husband, Father, Uncle, Grandfather, Friend, and Brother. I was the sitting Lord of the Ancient Houses of Peverell, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. I was the sitting Lord of the Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Dumbledore, Potter, and Black. I am also the Master of Death, being the last descendant of the Peverell family and holding all three Deathly Hallows. I am also now the Master of this castle and land, according to Gideon."

"That is correct Lord Gryffindor, Prince of Gryffindor." Gideon said smugly.

"Thanks Gideon, but please do not call me all that." Harry said before turning back to the headmaster. "Now, to answer some of the other questions you may have; first off I come from the year 2159. Along with me came my sister Hermione Jane Lupin."

"Lupin? You mean Remus and Nicole's daughter?" Albus asked. Harry only nodded. "She was reported killed when Nicole was killed in 1981. Though there was never a body recovered. Where was she?"

"She was abducted by John and Carol Costas minutes after the Death Eaters disapparated. Nicole was still holding Hermione when she died and they stole her. Once again Remus' Lycanthropy meant that no one took him seriously, except for you I understand. But by that time it was too late."

"I remember those days too well. Remus was miserable until James and Lily brought you to the castle." Albus said.

"I know. You told me or rather your portrait told the story after we learned that Hermione was a Lupin. As to why you never found her, the Costas had moved and changed their name to Granger shortly after the abduction. Once settled, they made contact with some of their people to bind Hermione's powers and make her disappear. You see the Grangers are members of a society of people who believe magic is evil and all magic users are agents of the devil and should be eliminated. They planned on using Hermione as a human bomb to destroy Hogwarts. Some of their people had designed a potion that would overload Hermione's magical core, causing it to explode mere days after she started Hogwarts. That plan failed thanks to Hogwarts seeing the danger and dealing with it."

"Oh my god" Albus said. "That's barbaric."

"It is, but it is not reason enough for ideas like yours and Gellert's plans to make all muggles submit to our rule!"

"You know about that?" Albus asked.

"And I know about your fight and your love for Gellert; though I will tell you two things about that. Ariana was killed by Gellert, and you were fooled by love potions. You might think you fell in love with him, but you did not."

"How…?"

"After the war, I spent many hours with your portrait. I became your apprentice and heir, later I accepted the title of Lord Dumbledore and was able to access Nurmengard Castle. The first person besides Voldemort to enter the castle since you sealed it. Grindelwald left all of his notes in his office there. If you had not been so scared, you would have found them. Tom Riddle did you and the world a favor by killing him. When you locked him in the castle's highest tower, you tortured him because his notes were so close, but so far. He still had some magic, and has been building his magic, knowing that when he finally overcame the enchantments, he would be more powerful than anyone or anything. We cannot allow this to happen; you will need to kill him this time around."

"No."

"Albus, Gellert is way too strong even now. By this time period, he already knew how the enchantments worked; he was waiting for his magic to grow a little more. If he breaks out of the castle, then it is game over. Also, he has tied the potions that reside within you to him. To be free you need to kill him."

Dumbledore left that issue alone and spoke on a different matter. "Did Aberforth…"

"Shortly after I completed my apprenticeship with your portrait, I developed the Dumbledore eye twinkle and went to see Aberforth. Aberforth was still pissed off at me and you. I made him think about what you did with your life while he wallowed away as an uneducated wizard. He is the one who bestowed the Lordship on me because he wanted nothing to do with either of us. As soon as the magic settled in my core, I knew there was something Aberforth needed to see. I flamed us to Gellert's office and showed him what I knew was there. Aberforth spent the rest of his life, which was only a few years unfortunately, teaching me everything he knew. He also asked for a copy of your portrait so that you two and Ariana could speak to each other."

"Did I ever…"

"You and Minerva were considered married by many of us for years. And I know that Minnie loves you. No one else would deal with you for that long." Harry laughed.

Albus smiled too. He longed for his longtime friend, but was afraid. Albus wanted to deal with this issue but Harry seemed distracted suddenly.

"Harry is something wrong?"

"One of the Marauder Wards was just tripped." Harry said. "It is the one around the Shrieking Shack."

"How do you know?"

"Because dad and Sirius used blood magic to make the wards; and since I am a Potter by blood and Hermione is a Lupin, we can trip the wards and detect them. That reminds me, I need to make sure Peter Pettigrew is removed from the blood magic. He's a traitor."

"What?"

"Later Albus. First we need to get to the Shrieking Shack."

"Could it be Remus?" Dumbledore asked.

"I don't think so. According to his journals, Remus spent many of the years between mum and dad's death and when you tracked him down to teach here in Wales and the Muggle World. It has to be Hermione, which means she is injured. We planned on not going to the Shack until we were together or if we were hurt." Harry said as he conjured a scabbard for his sword before getting ready to apparate out of the room.

"Harry, I think Fawkes might be better for this." Albus said as the phoenix glided into the room and settled on Albus' shoulder. "Fawkes, can you take us the Shrieking Shack please?"

The phoenix nodded and took off into the air, singing a joyful melody.

Both men took a feather in their hands before being surrounded in fire and vanished from the castle.

Harry and Albus arrived in the main room of the Shrieking Shack. Harry started looking around and found the crumpled form of his sister. "Hermione!" he yelled before running to her side with Dumbledore right behind him.

As soon as they could, both men began to run diagnosis spells on the young witch, coming up with the same results.

"Her core has been damaged." Albus whispered.

"It looks like by apparating, then doing wandless magic, and something else." Harry said.

"Could it be your arrival from the future?"

"I don't know. But we need to get her out of here." Harry said.

"I don't think flame travel will be good for her. Or any other form of magical travel." Albus whispered and Fawkes seemed to agree with him as he gave a few sorrowful notes when flame travel was mentioned.

"Then it is Plan C then." Harry said before he closed his eyes and concentrated on Hogwarts Castle, and more importantly the Hospital Wing. As he thought about the room, he ordered Hogwarts to make a pathway between where he was and where he needed to go. As he felt Hogwarts respond to him, he turned back to Hermione.

"Albus, no matter what happens, get Hermione to the Hospital Wing. I am going to use my magic and stabilize her for a short while." He then wrapped his magic around Hermione and ordered his magic to protect her.

"Open the trapdoor and take the new cave, it will lead us to the Hospital Wing. You should be able to levitate us both; I've got her magic in the palm of my hand, literally." Harry said as he closed his eyes and concentrated on Hermione.

Not even bothering to conjure anything, Albus picked up the two children in his arms and made a break for the trapdoor. As soon as he was down into the passageway, he saw that a new passageway had been created in the solid rock.

'_Hogwarts must be responding to Harry's commands.'_ Albus thought before starting off down the hall.

Meanwhile in a remote village in Wales, Remus Lupin was working in a bookshop when he felt very old magic stir in him. Quickly excusing himself to the restroom so the muggles would not see him, Remus began to search through his memories and magic for the cause of this ancient magic. It took minutes to find, one of the Marauder Blood Wards had been tripped.

'_But who tripped them? Sirius? No he is still in Azkaban; Peter is dead…though I think I still feel him once in a while. James and Lily are gone, so that means it might be Harry, but that is wrong too. It feels like Nicole…but she and Hermione…HERMIONE! My daughter tripped the wards! But how, why?'_

Remus knew without a shadow of a doubt that his daughter tripped the wards and was at the Shack, which meant she was alive.

Inside Remus' brain, another, more animalistic conscience was coming to the same conclusion. _'Cub is alive. Mate is dead, but cub lives. Moony must protect female cub. Moony kill who threatens she-cub. Human Moony needs to go.'_

"I know Moony." Remus said to no one, but to his own self. "Let's go and find our she-cub." Remus left the restroom, made up an excuse and left the bookstore and headed for Hogwarts.

Deep within the hell that was Azkaban Prison, Sirius Black was awake and feeling something strange. Like his fellow Marauder hundreds of miles away, Sirius knew someone had activated one of the wards. The Blood Magic he and James Potter had created for some the Marauders' spells had become active once again. That meant someone with their blood had tripped them.

Being one of the creators of the magic that the wards were based on, Sirius could easily determine who tripped the wards, providing they were not behind wards and enchantments like the ones he was behind. But that never stopped Sirius from doing the impossible before.

Dropping into a meditative state, praying the Dementors stayed away while he did this, Sirius lowered his remaining mental shields and let his magic look for who tripped the wards. Pushing through the ethosphere Sirius saw the image of a young girl lying on the floor. Her bushy brown hair was a dead giveaway.

"Hermione" Sirius muttered before opening his eyes. His friend's missing daughter was alive! She was clearly injured, but she was alive! Knowing that he had to help her, Sirius transformed into Padfoot and tried to push through the bars that made up his door; after three or four tries, Padfoot made it through and bolted down the hallway towards the smell of saltwater and freedom.

For an old man like Albus Dumbledore, running almost two miles while carrying two children should have been too much. But besides being very strong magically and having enough adrenaline for an entire quidditch team, Hogwarts herself was doing all she could to help, including trapping Peeves the Poltergeist in the lowest dungeons so he would not interfere.

So when the Headmaster reached the Hospital Wing, he was no longer surprised to see the doors fly open and Poppy Pomfrey standing at the ready next to two beds.

"Hogwarts told me I had injured coming. Place them here." Poppy said.

Albus did as he was told and was soon being pushed back as the Mediwitch did her job. "This boy is using his magic to keep the girl alive."

"The young man is Harry Potter, the Lord of this castle. He is simply using his magic to keep Miss Lupin safe." Albus said.

"Miss Lupin, you mean Remus and Nicole's daughter?"

"Yes. It seems that fate stole her from us many years ago." Albus said sadly. "How is she?"

"I don't know. I am getting readings from Harry's magic, not hers."

"Then perhaps I should release my hold on her then." A voice from behind the healer said. She turned to see Harry Potter sitting up and with a wave of his hand, He released Hermione's magic.

Poppy turned and began to work on Hermione, muttering all the time. Harry never once left his bed; instead he sat and watched his sister. Dumbledore, knowing that if Ariana was where Hermione was, sat quietly next to his 'apprentice' and prayed to Merlin that the young girl pulled through. All the while in his head, he began to make plans on how to first off aid Harry in his quest, and also how to protect Harry from things he had not considered yet.

Neither man noticed when the first wards tripped outside of Hogwarts, but they both felt a dark creature cross inner wards of Hogwarts at the Shrieking Shack. "Remus!" They both said at the same time.

"Harry, remain here. I will meet with Remus." Albus said.

"Thank you Albus." Harry said. "Hogwarts is making a quicker path to Remus. When he exits the Whomping Willow you'll see him. Don't worry about explaining anything to him, I'll do that. I've had a hundred years to figure out what to say to him."

"I will return shortly." Albus said as he left the Wing.

Remus knew his little girl was alive. The closer he got to Hogsmeade and Hogwarts, the surer he became. He became so sure that he stopped to cast a spell he had not cast in many years, a child tracking spell. In magical homes, parents would cast the first part of the spell on their child when they were infants. Then when they needed to locate them, they would simply cast the second part of the spell.

After Nicole died, Remus cast the spells for days on end, hoping to find Hermione, but it never worked. That above all else convinced Remus that Hermione was dead along with his wife. But that was another lifetime ago now. That was in a world where Remus had lost his wife and daughter. Though he would always miss Nicole, Hermione was now his sole reason to live now.

That was the reason why Remus was standing outside the Shrieking Shack looking in the direction of Hogwarts Castle, knowing his baby, along some answers he hoped, were inside. For what Remus felt was magic, but there was no spell involved. It was the magic of family, of blood, and it would not fail him now that he had her scent.

As soon as Remus had arrived, he entered the Shrieking Shack and started looking around. He found the place had not been touched in years, except for the old trap door that he and the others would come in and out of as well as the main room where Moony had picked up three distinct scents. One smelt like a firebird, one smelt like one of the pack's cubs, and the last one was his she-cub.

The firebird Remus knew was Dumbledore. Besides having Fawkes, Dumbledore was a phoenix animagus. The first cub smelt like James and Lily Potter so that had to be Harry, and the last was his daughter, he knew it. Judging by the smells, Remus was less than an hour behind them, but Hermione had been injured somehow.

Thinking the wards to seal the tunnel to the Shack were in place, Remus left the Shack and was planning on how to storm the castle as Moony moved around in the back of his mind.

'_Must find cubs'_ Moony demanded. _'Old firebird knows where they are. Go and rip firebird apart. Must find cubs! She-cub is hurt. Kill who hurt our cub!'_

"I know Moony. Relax; the main gates are locked as it is the summer. The only way in is the floo or hopefully the tunnel. I doubt anyone added more wards since we left so I should be able to drop them. We'll have our answers soon enough. And if we don't then you can tear Albus apart."

The wolf inside Remus purred with approval at that thought. Remus made his way back into the Shack and into the tunnel that led to the Whomping Willow. His plan from there was to take one of the secret passageways into the castle. Once inside he would find Hermione, and answers.

But first he had to drop the wards he and James placed when they graduated Hogwarts. They were not the standard Marauder Wards and had taken weeks to design. Remus wanted to protect the school as the Hogwarts wards did not cover the tunnel. James wanted to protect Remus and Hogwarts as well. As long as the Shrieking Shack remained sealed, then no one would find out Remus' secret. So the two of them designed the wards and installed them, but left a backdoor, in case they ever needed to get past them.

After getting past the wards, Remus stood next to the frozen Whomping Willow taking a deep breath. 'That was easier than it should have been, but god that was draining.' Indeed it was easy. Hogwarts had responded to her master's command and caused Remus to burn magic, making Moony more docile.

Knowing Albus would have been alerted already, Remus made his way towards the secret entrance. Along the way Remus noted that Hogwarts seemed brighter than the last time he had been here. 'The elves must be working overtime again.' Remus thought.

As soon as Remus passed, Albus stepped right out of a tree halfway between the Whomping Willow and the secret passage Albus often uses himself.

"Remus," Dumbledore said to the werewolf who turned around. "I am glad you came."

"Where is my daughter?" Remus demanded. Moony was fighting for control and it was taking everything Remus had to keep him contained.

"She escaped her captors and apparated to the Shrieking Shack. Lord Gryffindor and I were speaking when he felt the wards trip. We moved her to the Hospital Wing where Fawkes and Poppy are working on her right now."

Remus relaxed hearing there was a phoenix and Poppy there. "Who is Lord Gryffindor?"

"It is Harry Potter. Come there is much to discuss. But I first must ask you to take some of this." Albus said as he handed Remus a potion from a pocket in his robes "Concentrated Wolfsbane Potion. I do not want Hermione or anyone else harmed by Moony."

'_Give Moony potion. Firebird wants she-cub safe. Moony not safe for she-cub.'_ Remus nodded and drank the whole thing down.

"God that is disgusting." Remus said. He could feel Moony going to sleep in his mind.

"I know my boy. But I have to make sure you do not harm Hermione or Harry. I am afraid that if you were to threaten either one of them, even in their current conditions, they could handle Moony easily." Albus said as he escorted Remus back to the tree he exited, knowing it was the fastest way to the Hospital Wing.

Padfoot woke from unconsciousness to the smell of salt air and someone sniffing his ass. Waking up completely Padfoot growled at the offending collie pup who wanted to play.

'_Play with me? I know I did it right. I sniffed you, now you have to play with me._'

Knowing he had something to do, Padfoot turned and began to walk away when the pup tackled him.

'_No. Now we play.'_

'_Alright junior, if you say so.'_ Padfoot told the other dog.

Padfoot got back to his paws and launched at the pup. They wrestled around for a few minutes before the human part of Padfoot's brain took over. After getting up from the match he barked at the pup.

'_I need to go. Members of my pack are in trouble.'_ Padfoot said in dog language.

'_Be careful. You look like you could use a bath and some—oh look at the squirrel!'_

Padfoot shook his head and took off towards Hogwarts. The damn collie was young, but was right. He needed a bath and maybe some food. He knew he was not strong enough yet to turn back into Sirius. The animagus transformation took a lot out of him at Azkaban. To do it right now would be suicidal. The problem was that Padfoot knew there was not a lot of time. Remus' cub was in trouble and traveling as a dog would take too long. However being a Grim had its advantages. As soon as Padfoot entered the forest he began to shadow jump longer distances then he could go by foot.

Shadow Jumping is a term that means a creature can use the shadows as shortcuts from one place to another. Shadow Walking required the creature to cross through the Shadow Realm, which was very dangerous. Shadow Jumping only required a creature to step into the shadow and use their magic with the natural magic of the shadow to move to the nearest shadow. Grims were known to be one of the few animals that could shadow walk or jump. It was said that a Grim once Shadow Jumped from London to Dublin Ireland to chase his prey but Padfoot corrected everyone and said it was from London to Northern Ireland and he indeed catch his cousin who had pranked him.

But Shadow Jumping would still take time, which Padfoot did not like. Being the stubborn mule he was, Padfoot decided to run through the Shadow Realm, damning the consequences. But for some reason, Sirius was born under a lucky star and did not run into anything unwanted in the Shadow Realm.

As soon as Remus entered the Hospital Wing, his eyes were focused on Hermione. She was asleep, no longer unconscious.

"How is my daughter Poppy?" Remus asked the matron.

"She had a fractured core that had become unstable due to wandless magic and apparition; to say nothing about the magical blocks that she removed herself. A couple of these were Minerva's spells, which was expected since she just delivered her Hogwarts Letter, but there is residue of some very-very dark binding spells. Remus, I need to know…do you or Nicole—" Poppy said.

"Of course not. Nicole refused to place even the most basic child bindings on her. The only spells ever cast on her were the locating spell and the cleaning charm when we changed her nappies. That's it."

"Thank you Remus. I needed to make sure. She is stable, and will be weak for a few days, but she is going to fine."

"How was she able get away from kidnappers?" Remus asked out loud.

"I can answer that Remus" Said the young man from the bed next to his daughter. Remus saw an eleven year old James Potter looking at him with Lily Evans' green eyes.

"Harry…" Remus whispered.

"It's been a very long time. The last time I saw you, you and your wife Dora were here Hogwarts before the final battle. You both died and I raised your son Teddy Lupin with my wife Ginny." Harry said.

"What are you saying?" Remus said.

"Hermione and I are from the future. Well over a hundred and fifty years in the future. We came back to stop a series of events that included the cold blooded murder of Hermione's husband, my wife, and many members of our family and friends." Harry said.

"How bad was the war?" Remus asked.

"We lost Albus, Sirius, Amelia Bones, Ted Lupin, Fred Weasley, and a number of Hogwarts students. In many ways we lost George Weasley and Andromeda Tonks too; though they both remained in the mortal plane with us for a while. We lost Andromeda five years to the day of Ted's death. She dropped Teddy off at our home, kissed us all and left. As soon as she left, I felt the wards around her home shift. We later found out she apparated right into Mount Saint Helen in America, stopping the volcano from exploding again, saving thousands of lives. George remained with us, thanks to Angela and their kids. But he never laughed as much. And it never made it to his eyes when he did.

"After the war we had a number of issues including World War III. The kids had graduated from Hogwarts when World War III broke out. Ginny and I were vacationing in America when Disneyland was bombed. Ten thousand people were killed there. That started the war that almost destroyed the earth. When we returned to England, I was approached by Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister of Magic, to take command of the Auror forces and the new Magical Army.

"I did so and stopped an attack on King William three days after his coronation. Shortly after that, King William asked me take command of all military forces for Great Britain, two years later I was named Supreme Allied Commander and we took the war to the enemy. Ron Weasley, my best friend and Hermione's husband, and I personally led the fight to retake Russia, which had fallen early in the war, atop a flight of dragons with the largest Mundane & Magical Army ever assembled.

"There were a few pictures taken of us on route to Russia. I was on top of a Horntail, Ron was flanking me to the right on a Norwegian Ridgeback, and Neville Longbottom was on top of the largest Welsh Green we had ever seen on my left. Around us were aircraft. Two mundane B-2 bombers were behind us, two F-117's flanking us from above, two F-22 Raptors mirroring the F-117's below us, and an SR-71M in front of us on point. When we made it into Russian occupied space, we cut a path of destruction 100 miles wide from the Russian border to the west all the way across Siberia and finally down into St. Petersburg where the occupation government was at. After the war, the Statute of Secrecy was revoked."

"By Merlin" Poppy said, who had heard every word.

"Wait, you said Sirius, as in Sirius Black?" Remus asked.

"Yes and he is innocent. Pettigrew set him up." Harry said.

"And he has escaped from Azkaban." Albus said who had been standing hear the doors speaking to a flame in his hand. "Cornelius Fudge just contacted me. Sirius was not in his cell when they did their routine cell checks."

"It was not a cell check; it was the weekly beatings the guards gave him. The guards who are on the maximum security level failed their auror exams and were given jobs by Fudge at the urging of Lucius Malfoy, who is Fudge's biggest backer. They made sure the Death Eaters like Bellatrix and Lestrange Brothers were taken care of and kept the dementors away. They knew Sirius was innocent and beat him because they could. When I became the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement I had all the records reviewed. The only survivors of the Azkaban breakout were these men. I found out why later and had them sentenced to the new prison the Goblins built three miles away from Azkaban in the North Sea."

"Why would Sirius break out now?" Remus asked.

"Because he probably felt the same thing you and I felt, the Marauder Wards around the Shrieking Shack. He helped create the wards; in fact his blood and dad's blood was the base. He probably felt them before you or I did. It also helped that Hermione's core is far larger than anyone else her age, except for me of course. The wards use our own core to send out the signal. With the size of her core, Sirius or my dad could have been on the moon and heard her. Sirius deduced who was in trouble and took action. I'd bet money Sirius is on his way here right now." Harry said.

"What about Peter then? Would he have felt them? Albus asked.

"No. James and Sirius removed Peter from the wards when Hermione was born. Nic did not want Peter to give her too much candy when we were not looking. We used the Marauder Wards for everything. They were the best wards we had ever seen." Remus said.

"…Daddy…?" A groggy Hermione moaned from her bed.

"Hermione!" Remus said as he launched himself to his long lost daughter's bedside "Oh my precious angel."

"Can I have a hug?" Hermione asked.

"As many as you want for as long as you want." Remus said as he gathered Hermione into his arms and rocked her and cried. Hermione, for being well over 170 years old, cried for all that she had lost the first time around and everything that she would have this time.

After ten minutes of reassuring they were each real, Remus and Hermione separated and turned to Harry and Albus, who had been discussing something else.

"So I take it my hair-brained idea worked?" Hermione asked.

"Yes and so far we've been correct about many of our hypothesis. My damaged core did not allow me to connect with the wards correctly. As soon as I pulled my core back together, the wards saw I had been beaten and transported me here." Harry said.

"And I assume Gideon told you about being Lord Gryffindor already?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded "And about owning Hogwarts and everything within fifty miles from here?" 

"I didn't ask how much…how in the hell do you know?" Harry asked.

"I _**AM **_your blood-sister. Even if we blood bonded in the future, I am your sister now, which means that Hogwarts responds & talks to me, much like it talks to you. Hogwarts told me when I arrived. I am considered a Lady of Hogwarts; well at least I will be once I am 17 again."

"Smart ass" Harry said.

"Ron loved my ass. And slapped it every morning to remind me how much he loved it." Hermione said.

"Enough!" Remus yelled.

"Yes daddy." Hermione said as Harry smirked.

"I like the sound of that." Remus said. "Harry, is there any way to track Sirius?"

"There are a few, but the question is, should we?" Harry said.

"Why?" Dumbledore asked.

"Because Fudge would want Sirius silenced." Harry said.

"What about the rat?" Hermione asked. "As soon as Mum Weasley turns on the wireless, the whole Burrow will know."

"Albus, do you think Fawkes could fetch us the rat?" Harry asked.

"No. The wards around the Burrow will not allow Fawkes to take someone out with Arthur Weasley's permission. Mr. William Weasley had designed the wards in his seventh year Ancient Runes class as his senior project. Once we tested them, with the help of Fawkes, he asked me to help him install them around the Burrow. He has no doubt made improvements to them as he has learned much more in Egypt since then."

"Then we do it the old fashion way." Harry said.

"There is another way." Remus said. "Albus, can you contact Arthur Weasley and talk to him? If Peter is still in his rat form, then we might say that you have discovered a rare disease carried by rats."

"I take it this is an old plan of yours?" Hermione asked.

"No. I just came up with it." Remus answered.

"I shall return. Harry, I do believe that if you could explain to Fawkes what Sirius looks like, Fawkes might be able to find him." Albus said before he left.

Harry turned to the phoenix and smiled. "Fawkes, do you need me to explain to you what Sirius might look like?"

Fawkes laughed and disappeared in a flash of flames. "I'll take that as a 'no'." Harry said as turned to speak to his sister. Harry saw that Hermione was curled up in Remus' lap, who was rocking her gently and looking like he could create the world's biggest patronus. Harry smiled and aid back into the comfy bed and relaxed for a little bit.

Five minutes later Fawkes appeared in his customary ball of flame up near the roof rafters, flying around the room, quite pleased. At least everyone thought he was pleased as Fawkes was for lack of a better description, lazily gliding on the thermals in the room as well as by his phoenix song and general shaking like he was laughing.

"What is so funny?" Remus asked.

"Knowing Fawkes, I'd bet that Padfoot smelt like crap and so Fawkes decided he needed a bath." Harry said.

"Where do you think he dropped him?" Remus asked.

"Into the Black Lake" Hermione piped in.

"Fawkes can you please go and get my Dogfather please?" Harry asked still laughing.

Fawkes, hearing the request, dove straight down and flamed away. He returned moments later with a wet ball of fur in his talons. Deciding he did not like water too much Fawkes dropped the fur-ball onto a bed close by before flaming away, phoenix song still blazing.

Harry cast a drying spell at the fur to reveal it was a grim like dog. "Hello Padfoot, why don't you turn back to your other form? We need to talk."

Not understanding what was going on, Padfoot did as he was told and began to change into the emaciated form of Sirius Black. He had been eating from a trashcan when the firebird came and snagged him so at least he had some energy.

"Hello Sirius, we've been waiting for you." Hermione said to her second godfather, James Potter being her first, before looking up and swearing in several dead tongues before vanishing into thin air, right thru the wards.

Albus left the Hospital Wing and made his way through a number of passageways only accessible to himself. _Myself and Harry now, and maybe Miss Lupin._

He made it to his office in mere moments and immediately grabbed a special type of floo powder before igniting it in his hand, making his own floo connection. _"The Burrow!"_ a moment later he was looking through the flames at one of the homiest homes he had ever had the pleasure of being invited too.

"Arthur! Molly! It is I, Albus Dumbledore!" He yelled into the house. A moment later the Weasley's only daughter appeared.

"Hello Professor." Ginny Weasley said.

"Hello Young Ginevra. Are your mother or father home?"

"Everyone is outside. You can come through if you want. Mum and Dad won't mind." 

Albus thought for a moment, normally he would never floo right into a house, even when he had been told a thousand times it was alright, but this was an emergency. "Very well. I'll be right through." Dumbledore closed the connection before stepping over to fireplace in his office and flooing back to The Burrow.

Ginny waited for the Headmaster to arrive before heading out to tell her parents that the Headmaster was there.

"Mum, Dad, Headmaster Dumbledore is here!" Ginny yelled.

"Albus, what are you doing here? The twins are not expelled are they?" Molly Weasley asked. Albus notice the entire family was sitting down to dinner, including Bill who was working in Egypt for Gringotts, and Charlie who worked in Romania.

Albus smiled, the Weasley Twins were terrors, to those that did not understand them. They believed that world needed laughter and that it was their duty, being born on April Fool's Day, to give as much laughter as possible. Laughter, they learned, could change a dangerous situation into a much calmer situation more times than not.

Though many of their pranks seemed chaotic, Albus noticed that many times those who were the victims of the pranks had been implicated in some sort of trouble around the school which Albus could not find evidence for. So Albus, and Minerva, treated the Weasley twins like they treated the Marauders when they were in school. They would occasionally discipline them, but always turn a blind eye when needed.

Albus also knew that the twins were brilliant, even smarter than their brother Percival. They just choose, rightfully so in Albus' opinion, to hide their intellect as their mother would demand they joined the ministry. Albus knew their heart was set on opening their own joke shop one day and vowed to invest in their joke shop one day because everyone needed a laugh once in a while.

"No Molly, the boys are fine. I am actually here in my role as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot." Albus said. "It seems that a few Muggles have taken the Black Plague and made it more powerful. Many witches and wizards exposed have already died."

"Oh Merlin!" Molly said.

"It is dark news indeed. However, the plague has yet to reach the shores of Britain and we are planning on battling it head on. The carrier for the disease is rats. I know that young Percival has had a rat with him at Hogwarts—"

"Scabbers might be a carrier?" Percy said.

"We are not sure. Under the circumstances though I would like your permission to check him myself for the plague" Albus replied smoothly.

"Of course. Percy where is he?" Arthur asked.

"Right here in his cage." Percy said holding up a cage. The moment Albus saw the cage, he quickly cast a wandless impervious charm to the cage, making it so that Peter could not transform. No one but Bill and Ginny saw what he had done.

"Thank you Percy. Now please place it on the table and then step back." Percy did as he was told and Dumbledore began to work. There really had been rumors about rats carrying a new plague, but they had been dealt with months ago. However Dumbledore still checked.

"The rat is clean of the disease, but there seems to be some strange magic at work here." Dumbledore muttered for everyone's benefit.

Hearing this, Wormtail knew that the gig was up and tried to escape. Dumbledore's spell work was superb and held against Peter trying to transform to escape. Dumbledore cast a containment spell, with Bill Weasley automatically adding another ward around his for good measure. Bill knew something was wrong and trusted the Headmaster completely.

Once the wards were in place, Dumbledore vanished the cage and cast the animagus revealo spell, turning the rat Scabbers back into the very much alive Peter Pettigrew. Pettigrew, with a wand in hand, tried to cast a killing curse at the Headmaster but it was deflected into the ground.

Knowing he had lost, Peter turned and cast another Killing Curse at the nearest Weasley, Ronald. No one could react fast enough until the air around Ron became distorted and sudden a wall of ice appeared in front of him. The spell caused the ice wall to shatter, revealing not just Ron, but a girl with bushy hair and an angry look.

"YOU SONOFABITCH!" Hermione screamed before casting an Expelliarmus spell wandlessly at the man who was getting ready to cast another spell. Pettigrew flew through the air and landed with a thud next to the edge of the wards. Moments later he was wrapped in barbed wire and had knives hovering around him.

"Move and you're a dead man." Hermione said.

She turned to look at the Weasley family and her eyes fell on Ronald. "Hello Ronald, I'm Hermione Lupin."

Ron looked at her with wide eyes. "Will you marry me?" Ron said, amazed that this girl appeared out of nowhere.

"I would love to, but not today." Hermione said calmly. Seconds later Harry, Sirius, and Remus all appeared in a burst of flames.

Harry took stock of the situation and laughed. "I guess we should do some explaining then."


	4. Chapter 3: Telling the Weasleys and Blac

Chapter 3: Telling the Weasleys and Blacks

Hermione nodded and Harry turned to the wards around the Burrow and quickly accessed the control matrix that Bill had created.

"Harry is going to ensure we have some privacy. I would suggest everyone get comfortable." Hermione said to the group. Seeing what Harry was doing, Bill moved to stop him.

"What are you doing?"

"Adding a few more wards that will keep everyone out you twit; by the way the next time you use this old matrix as your base I'll kill you with my bare hands! I know for a fact you know better ones. These wards, I mean anyone with a seventh year education can access the matrix! The only reason no one could access them before now was because they were buried on the inside of the wards. Pretty smart, but you're still a dumbass."

"Now wait a minute—" Bill began to say but was cut off by Albus.

"William, Harry has spent a long time learning magic, and he is my apprentice. I would suggest you listen to him."

Harry ignored both men and finished upgrading the wards to what Bill used after Ginny brought home the damn diary. Shortly after the kids started Hogwarts the year after the diary incident Bill came home for the weekend and installed the new ward package that was much more robust and overall better than what he had originally built.

"And there. That should work much better. And it will make adding the new ward package easier later on." Harry then turned to see Bill seething. "Relax Bill, you taught me all I know about wards. Now why don't you seal the matrix with your blood, then we sit down and talk."

Harry simply walked away from Bill Weasley and back to where Hermione was still standing next to Ron as the adults conjured seats for everyone. Bill turned and looked at the open matrix and felt his jaw drop. These were some of the new wards that he had been designing for months! Though they were missing the main components of the new package, they were really good and would allow him to indeed tie in the new ward package with the existing wards without needing to drop them. Bill wanted to examine the wards and the matrix, but knew that Harry Potter had more bombshells so he quickly sealed the wards with his blood, vowing to extend his stay for a few more days.

Once everyone was seated, Harry addressed the group.

"Hello, my name is Harry Potter. The bushy haired girl over there is Hermione Jane Lupin. We are from over one hundred and fifty years in the future. We are here to stop the end of civilization as we know it." Harry said without preamble.

"I'm sold." Bill said.

"How?" Percy asked.

"He just made the wards I placed over the Burrow stronger than ever and put in place most of the new ward matrix I have been designing for months into operation." Bill answered.

"You know what I did not add then?" Harry asked.

"Yes and I am trying to figure out why? Did it not work?" Bill asked.

"I am not a Weasley and the current control stone would shatter." Harry said.

Bill smiled. "I must have been one hell of a teacher."

"You were." Harry said before turning to the group again. "Since many of you don't believe us, we'll tell you all a few things that no one else knows about you."

Everyone nodded in agreement. "We'll start with the eldest. Arthur, you love all things muggle. You get your love of muggles from your Uncle Randall who spent all his free time in Devon. You keep his journals in your shed in an old icebox. Depending on the exact date, you are either reading about his first trip in a car or about a crazy American named Limburg who flew across the Atlantic Ocean. He had seen the airplane in person when he landed." Harry said.

"I just read about that yesterday." Arthur said.

"How do we know you are not using legilimency?" Molly asked.

Harry withdrew the Sword of Gryffindor and slammed it into the ground tip first before kneeling next to it. "I Harry James Potter, Prince Gryffindor of Gryffindor, swear on my life, my magic, and my soul that I what I say is the truth. So Mote It Be!"

Magic accepted Harry's oath as there was flash of white light from Harry and the sword.

"Very well Prince Gryffindor. Please continue." Molly said.

"Mum Weasley—"

"What?"

Harry smiled sheepishly, "That is what Hermione, myself, and our closest friends called you called you later in life. Our kids called you Grammy Molly."

"Children? Grandchildren?"

"You and Arthur were the best grandparents ever to the brood." Hermione said with a smile.

"Anyway" Harry said "Your older brothers Fabian and Gideon threatened Arthur when you became pregnant with Bill; he out dueled two aurors who were very pissed at him. They also remained very close to your family until they died. They died protecting Arthur and young Percy who gone out for the day to Diagon Alley because Bill and Charlie were grounded for fighting."

Molly simply nodded, unable to speak.

"Bill are the changes I made to the wards sufficient for you?" Harry asked.

"Yes Prince Gryffindor." Bill said.

"Please do not call me Prince Gryffindor. My name is Harry."

"Of course."

"Charlie, you took all your NEWTs early, but never received your scores as you left Hogwarts after the Quidditch Cup your 7th year to head to Romania. Professor Dumbledore and Hagrid wrote your letters of Recommendation. You also knocked up Maria Perry and married her before she was killed in an 'accident'. Your daughter lives with you in Romania where you are not a Dragon Tamer like you say you are but rather the director of the dragon preserve and vice president of the Dragon Handlers Consortium."

"How in the hell…" Charlie asked.

"I have a granddaughter!" Molly screeched as the rest of the Weasleys all turned to interrogate Charlie.

"STOP!" Harry commanded. "First, I am sorry Charlie for doing this to you; I only met Alex after the war was over when you brought her home for the first time. You stayed away and kept her hidden because of the threats you got from the people who killed Maria. After the war, the truth about Maria's death came to light."

"Who killed my wife?" Charlie asked.

Harry looked at Hermione and Albus, trying to decide if he should tell Charlie.

"Harry, you swore on your magic." Bill said.

"But I can choose to remain silent." Harry said.

"Harry, they need to know the truth." Hermione said.

"It was a Death Eater named…Lucius Malfoy." Harry whispered.

As Harry feared, Charlie was moving before anyone could catch him. The only thing that stopped him were the wards. However before Bill could drop them, which was not very long, Hermione cast a wide area spell that froze everyone in their place. Hermione levitated everyone, including Harry, Remus, Sirius, Albus and the Weasleys to their chairs and then placed sticking charms to all of them save Harry before she unfroze them.

"Charlie, you have my word that we will get the son-of-a-bitch for what he did to Maria. But not yet. If we try to topple him, Fudge will let him walk. But when the time comes to send him through the veil, you can push him yourself." Hermione told Charlie. "I swear to you on my mother's grave."

Charlie seemed to take stock of the girl in front of him before nodding. Charlie knew that for some reason he could trust her.

"Thank you Charlie. I had to use considerable force to stop you last time." Harry said. "Do the rest of you need me to continue?"

Everyone believed Harry and Hermione now. Harry let out a sigh of relief. "Good because for everyone else I have very embarrassing stories about them. Like how Prefect Percy here lost—"

"I believe that you don't need to convince as anymore Lord Potter." Percy said quickly.

"What I was only go to say how you lost your Prefect Badge in the house and it 'magically' appeared three days later with a number of hexes. The work of true amateurs." Harry said while giving Percy a wink. Harry knew that Percy lost his virginity to Penelope Clearwater last school. Percy did appreciate that he did not tell that story and that he got Fred and George in trouble.

"Fred, George, we will discuss this incident after we are done here." Arthur said sternly.

"Yes sir." The twins said.

"Ok then. The first thing we need to do is get Alex home to England so her grandparents can spoil her rotten. Stopping Tom Riddle and saving the world can wait. Family comes first. Charlie, who is she with?" Harry said.

"My boss and his family; if I don't return home, he has instructions to get Alex out of Romania and to Australia. From there a friend of mine would get word to dad. My Gringotts vault has a letter explain everything." Charlie said.

"Albus, can you send Fawkes to get Alex? We can protect her at Hogwarts or any number of places better than Romania." Harry asked.

"Lucius said she had been tagged somehow. He'd know if she returned to England." Charlie said quickly.

"Bermuda. My family has a place there." Sirius said, throwing out ideas.

"That would require a trip to Gringotts." Remus said, also looking at the situation logically.

"Phoenix Nest. It is my chateau in Switzerland. It is very well warded and safe. Charlie, you could stay with her. I even have some animals that could use you to check on them." Albus said.

"That would be great, sir." Charlie turned to his parents to say something but Arthur spoke first.

"We understand Charlie. Just keep her safe until we can spoil her." Arthur said. Charlie nodded, knowing that there was a long discussion coming in the future.

"Harry, what are we going to tell people about you and Hermione?" Remus asked, thinking about his own child and nephew.

"I think the best thing to do would be to declare that I am Albus' apprentice." Harry said.

"There is a problem with that." Percy said. "According to what I know about the Headmaster, he took a vow to not a take an apprentice."

"You are correct Percy." Albus said. "But there are ways of getting around that. I will contact Nicholas when I get to Phoenix Nest and speak to him."

Harry was shocked. "That would be very cool to be the apprentice to the Nicholas Flamel. I spent time with his portrait after the war and learned from him a lot about magic." Harry said.

"As he is related to you I would say so. We could also say the Hermione has apprenticed under Perenelle since she was discovered rescued from slave traders in…Indonesia I would think." Albus said. "That way, I will not have to deal with the Ministry and the vow I took."

"What are slave traders?" Ron asked.

"One of the things that we dealt with more when I became Head Auror was Human Trafficking. There have been a lot of young girls taken from the Far East and sold to people in the USA and here in Western Europe, but there are also growing numbers of girls being taken from the West and sold to men all over the world. Some of these girls were four years old. Any they were taken to be maids. Some of these quick bastards were raping them that young."

"That's disgusting." Ginny said.

"I know. My wife and I had to live through ten hours of hell when our daughter's friend was taken. When we caught the people who did it, well let's just say that they never harmed anyone else." Harry said with darkening eyes remembering some of the dark times he had lived through and the hell he summoned when he caught those bastards.

"I believe that we have gotten off track." Remus said.

"I agree. Albus, if you could speak to the Flamels please. Charlie, go and get Alex. Pack whatever you can that will not be noticed. If Malfoy can indeed track Alex I want her secure before he finds out. Don't worry about money to buy things you leave there. We'll take care of you. Sirius, you should go too." Hermione said in her bossy business tone.

"No—"

"Padfoot you are an escaped felon and look like shit. Besides, Remus can look after us for a few days as well as the Weasleys." Harry said.

"Also you need to speak to the ICW and get a trial." Hermione said.

"What!" Sirius said.

"Smart girl Miss Lupin, very smart" Dumbledore said. "Sirius if you go to the ICW directly and plead for sanctuary, they have to give you veritaserum and question you about that night. After that, you would be free in their eyes and that would give us a better chance of investigating Fudge. I will be with you the entire time."

"Fine." Sirius said. He wanted to spend time with his godson.

"In the meantime, Hermione and I will put together a list of things we need to do before we can send Tom to hell. Albus, when do the teachers report to Hogwarts?"

"The Heads of Houses return in two weeks, the remaining teachers the following week. Minerva, Severus, Poppy, Argus, and Hagrid are already at the castle." Albus said.

"We need to speak to Severus. I will not have him treat people like he has treated them. Also, Quirrell needs to be dealt with."

"Quirrell will not be back for four weeks. He is still exploring Transylvania. What do you mean dealt with?" Albus said.

"He has Voldemort in the back of his head. I never did figure out how the wards did not know he was there the last time." Harry said.

"He is disembodied?" Albus asked.

"Yes." Harry & Hermione said.

"It could be because the wards do not recognize spirits. It is how Peeves is able to remain in the castle." Albus said.

"Then the possession wards are not raised. It is something else to look into regarding Hogwarts" Harry said. "Anything else?" No one raised their hands, "Good. In the meantime, everyone, please keep this quiet."

"We should tell the Tonks Family." Hermione said.

"Agreed. Albus, we're going to use Lionfire Hall as our headquarters until Hogwarts is secured. If I were to approach it right now, well let's say it would react much different that it should." Harry said "Even with me already being there."

"Why?" Ron said.

"Because I am Prince Gryffindor, Lord of Gryffindor. Hogwarts responds to my blood and magic. On top of that, I am the heir of the remaining founders." Harry said.

"And…" Ron asked.

"The staircases always work for me; there are a number of secret passage ways that only I can use; There are no rooms that are closed to me; oh and the other fun one…the suits of armor stand at attention when I pass." Harry said.

"A little hard to hide those facts" Ron said.

Harry smiled. "Just a little." He then turned to Remus. "Remus, can you get the Tonks Family and meet us at Lionfire?" Harry asked.

"Of course Harry." Remus said as he turned to leave the wards, Bill let him out.

"Mum…Weasley, Mr. Weasley; we'll talk to you in a few days." Hermione said as she rose from her chair and crossed to Harry and Sirius. With a quick nod the three of them disappeared. There was no apparition noise, no flames, they were just gone.

Bill looked amazed as he cast a few quick spells, trying to figure out how they left. After 2 minutes, a piece of parchment appeared in midair where Harry, Hermione, and Sirius had been standing. Bill grabbed it and read it aloud.

_Bill, next time try to check for invisibility spells. We walked through the hole Remus left thru and then teleported away._

—_HP_

"Harry seems to have style." Bill muttered as he turned to check out the wards some more.

Harry, Hermione, and Sirius appeared just outside of the wards of huge manor house. It was the home of the Potters for a thousand years, Lionfire Hall. Lionfire Hall was built shortly before Godric Gryffindor's death as a new home for his family. The village of Godric's Hollow sprang up from those who built the manor and worked on the land.

After learning of his inheritance, Harry had unsealed Lionfire Hall, as his parents had lived in the manor for a few short months before going into hiding, and used it as his primary home. Grimmauld Place had been given to Ron and Hermione after it cleaned from basement to attic, three times. It was destroyed when the first bombs landed on London in World War III.

Harry and Ginny raised their three children, Teddy Lupin, and many of the grandchildren in the manor over the years. The grounds, which were massive, also housed the UEMICC, the United Earth Military Integrated Central Command, during Harry's time as Supreme Commander during the war, and as leader of the light after the war. It was designed and built after Harry informed the Earth President that he would retire and let the rest to the world go to hell if he did not get a chance to spend time with his family.

Instead of trying to overrun Lionfire Hall, they dropped the new command center away the main buildings and thanks to magic, made it disappear. UEMICC remained there until Harry finally stepped down as Supreme Commander when he was 150 years old.

"I Harry James Potter, Prince Gryffindor of Gryffindor, I order Lionfire Hall to open!

The massive door opened and they entered only to be stopped by a house elf. "Prince Gryffindor, I is Tippy, I is in charge of Lionfire Hall." The elf said.

"Tippy, this is my blood-sister Hermione Lupin and my godfather Sirius Black. I will be staying here for a little while. Please prepare rooms for us and a few others. Also, is the portal between here and Hogwarts still secured?"

"Yous knows much Master Prince Gryffindor sir." Tippy said.

"I know Tippy. Now please, what about the portal?"

"It is still sealed. The Founder's Common Room is still sealed as well." Tippy said.

"Good." Harry said. "We will have guests arriving shortly including Hermione's father and the Headmaster of Hogwarts and a couple of others, when they arrive, please escort them to my office."

"Of course Master."

"Ok, what did you not tell us?" Sirius asked, sitting in his favorite chair. It was the same chair he sat in when he was younger and was speaking to Charles Potter, learning more about being a man than he ever learned from his father.

"Do you want the short list or the long one?" Harry asked.

"The long list." Sirius stated.

Over the next six hours Hermione and Harry explained about the Second Wizarding War, the Dark Lady, World War III, and the rest of the history of the Earth all the way through Ron's death and their trip back in time. Sirius' head was spinning when there was a knock on the door.

"Sorry to bother you Master Lord Gryffindor sir, but Sir Moony has arrived with the Tonks family." Tippy said.

"Thank you Tippy, send them in please." Harry said. A moment later the Tonks Family was led in by Remus, who looked very happy to be back in the Manor again.

"Sirius Black! What in the hell are you doing here?" Ted Tonks asked as he drew his wand, trying to protect his wife and daughter.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted, casting the disarming hex wandlessly at the Tonks family while Hermione froze them all in place.

"Sirius is innocent and I would like everyone to please relax and listen to Sirius' & our tale." Harry said to the group.

As they had done before, Hermione and Harry explained who they were and what they were planning on doing to make sure their future was not what they had experienced. Sometime during the explanation, Dumbledore entered the study and waited patiently for the story to finish.

"Sirius, you didn't betray James and Lily?" Andromeda asked.

"No Andi. James was my brother in all but blood. I loved Harry like my own son. But I killed them. I killed them by suggesting Peter be the Secret Keeper." Sirius said as he broke down crying.

"Miss Lupin, can you release me please? My cousin needs me." Andi asked. Hermione nodded and released Andi who immediately pulled Sirius into a strong hug. Hermione moved to her father who wrapped his arms around her as well.

"Sirius, why did you not tell me?" Remus asked.

"Because Remus, you were with the undercover with the werewolves. I tried to contact you myself, but Fenrir had you all in the Forest of Dean in his den." Albus said for the first time.

"And we knew someone close to James & Lily was leaking information to Voldemort." Sirius said. "There had also been reports of Voldemort being able to access information from werewolves while they were transformed. We couldn't ask you Moony. If something happened to James, Lils, and Harry you would blame yourself and killed yourself. You had nothing else to live for after Hermione and Nicole."

Remus could only nod at this fact. Though the reports were later proved to be false, the idea of someone ripping information from his mind was not a pleasant thought. And Remus knew that if he were the Secret Keeper and his let the secret slip, he would have killed himself.

"It's all in the past now." Harry said, taking control of the room once again. "Albus, were you able to deal with Peter?"

"Peter Pettigrew is in one of the rooms off of my office at Hogwarts. I have sealed him in a cage with enough food and water for a month as well as a strong memory charm to make him think he is a rat." Albus said.

"Which memory charm?" Hermione asked.

Albus looked a little uncomfortable at admitting what he used, Harry knew why. Ted Tonks was a Solicitor and Nymphadora was an Auror Trainee. If Albus used what Harry thought he did, it could land the Headmaster in Azkaban.

"Relax Albus; as long as you did not use the Killing Curse, the Tonks Family has gone deaf." Ted said with a smile.

"I used the Imperious Curse." Albus said. He looked at Harry. "You're right Harry; it is time to fight fire with fire."

Harry nodded. "As long as don't forget why we don't use it often. Peter is safe and in a few days he'll be in prison anyway. What about the other items?"

"Charles and Alex will be at Phoenix Nest within the hour. I have a couple of old contacts shadowing them. One of them is an acquaintance of yours from your time in what you called World War III." Albus said.

"You know Gracie?" Harry asked.

"I do not know her as well as you do, as I have never taken flight with her. But I have spent many hours speaking to her and using legilimency to have her speak to me. When you said the largest Welsh Green you has ever seen, I knew it was her." Albus smiled.

"Charlie must be in love." Hermione said smiling.

"I agree. What about the Flamels?" Harry asked.

"They are in the South Pacific on a small island, hundreds of miles away from anyone. They said they'd come to England and talk to you both in a few days." Albus said. "But they seem to like the idea of you two being their apprentices. I explained that there are issues that you would explain."

"What do we do now?" Dora Tonks asked.

"Ted, I would like to hire you to be the Solicitor for my families and interests." Harry said. "I'll keep you really busy I'm afraid."

"How many families?" Ted asked.

"I am head of the Ancient Houses of Peverell, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff, the Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Potter and Black with Sirius here being a convict, and I am also Prince Gryffindor of Gryffindor and owner of Hogwarts."

"Ted, if you do this, I think you might need me to go back to work in your office." Andi said.

"That would be an understatement dear. Lord—"

"Just Harry please."

"Sorry Harry, not in this case, the hiring of a solicitor requires a level of formality and ritual." Andi said. "But you need to understand some history before we go any further. Before Dora was born, I was Ted's partner in his practice. It was a small practice, but we did well. When Dora was born, Ted went to work for a large firm based in America; they had started here in England centuries before and immigrated to America in the 1800's. In the late 1960's their last solicitor here retired. During this time, they had been giving us more and more work as an outside company. When Walt retired, we decided to join the law firm officially and shutdown our small practice. They had a lot of business here in England, and none of their people wanted to deal with our ministry to get certified."

"Sounds typical" Harry, Hermione, Sirius, and Remus said at the same time before laughing.

"I agree. Five years ago, the managing partner, William Butler split the company into two and handed control of the British company to me." Ted said.

"Damn." Sirius said.

"While technically still a part of Butler, Farmer, and Brooke, I work on my own. I have the resources of one of the largest firms in the world, but I can do what I want like when I was running my own practice."

"Wait, Butler, Farmer, and Brooke? They have been on retainer for the Potter family for years." Remus said. "Charles Potter told me that if I ever had a problem, to go to them."

"That must be the sealed file in my office then." Ted said. "Bill Butler told me that if that file were to ever be opened, contact him and do whatever the client needed; something about being one of his family's oldest clients."

"If it's true, then consider yourself reinstated." Harry said.

"Can I borrow your floo? I'll get the file and contact Bill in Charleston." Ted asked.

"Of course" Harry said. "The floo in the entry hall is active; to return say Potter Manor, May the Force Be With You."

Dora laughed at the password as her father nodded and left. "Sirius, you need to get out of England, tonight." Dora said. "There is a trace on you. It is inactive right now, but the Ministry is preparing the ritual to activate it. The problem is it takes the Unspeakables to do it and they are locked away."

"They are in conclave. They are selecting their new leader. Unspeakable Crimson was killed three weeks ago by Walden Macnair." Hermione said.

"How do you know?" Sirius asked.

"I was an Unspeakable for over one hundred years Sirius. In that time, I also became Director of the Department of Mysteries and later was selected as the Leader of the Unspeakables after Harry was named Supreme Commander." Hermione said.

"Aren't the Director of the Department of Mysteries and the Leader of the Unspeakables the same person?" Dora asked.

"No. The Director of the Department of Mysteries oversees the entire department including the researchers, spell-crafters, Unspeakables, and the sort. The Unspeakables, and there are more than you think, are charged with investigating the most powerful of all magics and return them to the department for study. They are also some of the best trained at combat magic, both light and dark. They are the best at what they do."

"Then why did they not help us in the first war?" Remus asked.

"The Department of Mysteries is not answerable to the Ministry of Magic; they are a part of the International Confederation of Wizards. The Wizengamot of Great Britain, in 1723, voted to restrict the movements of the Department of Mysteries and it's agents from intervening in the internal affairs of Great Britain." Albus said.

"Why hasn't the Wizengamot voted to change that?" Andi asked, fearing the answer.

"English pride, and fear." Harry said. "In 1897 there was a dark wizard, Grindelwald's closest competition, who rose up in Canada; the Canadian Ministry of Magic could not deal with him. The Unspeakables went in and dealt with him. In the process over half the population of Northern Canada was killed."

"Ouch." Sirius said.

"Yep. Anyway, the trace won't be a problem, but we still need to get you out." Harry said.

"Sirius may travel with me via Fawkes." Albus said.

"Then I suggest you hurry."

"Agreed. Harry, is there an easy way of contacting you?" Albus asked.

"The floo. Once I get a chance, I'll enchant some mirrors and send them to you and Sirius." Harry said.

"Very well. Remus, look after them." Albus said.

"Of course, you look after the mutt." Remus said.

With that, Sirius and Albus were gone. As soon as the flames disappeared, Andi turned to Lord Potter. "So what are you going to do to the goblins?"

"What do you mean?"

"Harry James Potter, do not lie to me. I am still a Black." Andi threatened.

"It depends on what Ted finds out."

"What depends?" Ted asked as he entered the room. "Prince Gryffindor of Gryffindor, the firm of Butler, Farmer, and Brooke would like to renew our bonds with the Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Potter and create news bonds with your other houses and serve as your solicitors."

"Thank you Mr. Tonks. I hereby decree Theodore Tonks and the firm of Butler, Farmer, and Brooke to serve as solicitor to all those house and families that fall under my control as the Gryffindor of Gryffindor. So mote it be." Harry said formally.

Magic sealed the bond between to the men and Ted released the breath he did not know he was holding.

"Good, now that is done, Ted, have you ever wanted to take control of a bank?" Harry asked with a smirk as Hermione rolled her eyes.

Tonks looked at the boy in front of him and thought '_Oh hell.'_


	5. Chapter 4: Potter vs Gringotts…Take Two

Chapter 4: Potter vs. Gringotts…Take Two

"Excuse me?" Andi asked her nephew. '_Well, we'll call him my nephew, it is better than My Insane Cousin's Godson.'_ Andi thought.

"One of the things I learned after I claimed my full inheritance was that certain members of Gringotts Wizarding Bank had been stealing from my families. In fact over half of the Gryffindor gold had _mysteriously disappeared_. Only after storming into Gringotts, this time _with_ the Ministry of Magic, a couple of dragons, and a few _other_ friends did the truth come out."

"Harry, you had the Chairman of Gringotts Wizarding Bank on his knees while you held Gryffindor's Sword to his throat!" Hermione shrieked.

"The bastard had it coming. He spit in my face." Harry yelled back.

"You threatened the Chairman of Gringotts?!" Remus asked.

"Not really threatened, but promised him. That was after I sliced through most of his Elite Guard and most of his more corrupt tellers." Harry said. "I plan on doing it differently this time."

"What, blow up the damn bank?" Hermione asked.

"Why would I blow up something I own forty five percent of?" Harry said. Seeing the disbelieving looks on Andi's, Ted's, and Dora's faces, he explained. "Ted, once you get into all the files, you will find an old ledger. That is the key. That ledger has a copy of the original contract between the Godric of Gryffindor and Gringott, Leader of the Goblins. What the contract says is that Gringotts _Wizarding_ Bank is to be governed by a Board of Governors; there would be eight members of the board, four selected by the Gringott Clan and four selected by the Gryffindor Family Trust. The Chairman of the Board would be voted on every seven years and alternate between a member of the Gringott Clan and a member of the Gryffindor Trust. No matter what, the goblins would run the day to day operations of the bank and the board would remain balanced with an equal number of goblins and magicals."

"What happened?" Ted asked.

"700 years ago the Gryffindor Family _died_ out. In reality, the family took a new name, Potter; the elder members of the family knew they were related to Gryffindor. Anyway they were killed in an attack, leaving only a small child who was raised by tutors, never knowing his true lineage. The Potters wealth was never explained, except that it was _old _money." Harry said.

"The goblins set it up?"

"A very specific one actually; Warrick was Godric's friend and confidant, goblins live much longer than we do. Warrick hid a percentage of the Gryffindor wealth away. When those who were corrupt made their move, Warrick opened the Potter account and made sure _everyone_ knew about it. Making sure no one could steal the money. However Warrick could not save the board from falling into the hands of Ironhide and his people."

"The Potter Elders were on the board." Andi stated.

"As well as the last Gryffindor, Rein of Gryffindor, Godric's squib granddaughter; with them gone and their secrets safe, Ironhide and his people remade Gringotts and history. Whenever one of Warrick's sons, and he had many, tried to lead an uprising, Ironhide's people attacked wizards—"

"The rebellions!" Remus said.

"Yep."

"The goblins are not going to let you disrupt their world Harry." Dora said.

"I won't have too. Shortly after we escaped Gringotts, Tom Riddle killed Mackrack and the rest of the Board of Governors for allowing us to escape. Mackrack is Warrick's nephew, the last of the family. He rose to power thanks to Albus ending World War II. As a thank you for his service to the Goblin Nation, the Goblin Council made him leader of the Gringott Clan, which gave him a seat on the board and the chairmanship. He used his position to begin to wade through thousands of different books, trying to right the wrongs. He was ready to reveal the information to my grandfather shortly before he was killed. And of course by that time mum and dad were in hiding.

"After Mackrack was executed, Grimlock became Chairman and pushed many of Ironhide's ideals. He is the one I did in fact kill, only after meeting the Goblin Council. After the truth was revealed, I was asked by the council to serve sentence on Grimlock, as per Goblin Law. Ragnock, Mackrack's son became Leader of the Gringott Clan and together we built a new age for the bank and for goblin/human relations. And got wasted on more than one occasion."

"Do you think Mackrack has the power to actually help?" Ted asked.

"Yes and no. The tellers are loyal to Mackrack, and are members of the Gringott Clan. The Elite Guard are duty bound to the Chairman of Gringotts, and serve Mackrack without question, but the rank and file guards and security personnel are loyal to Grimlock, who is the head of bank security. He uses them like his personal army. We might have to fight them, but the tellers and the dragon handlers are strong fighters. Many of them know what dishonor has gone on and wish to redeem themselves." Harry said.

"What would you like me to do?" Ted asked.

"Head to Gringotts and speak to Griphook. Inform him you are the solicitor for Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter and wish to speak to Mackrack under the terms of the _Gryffindor Alliance_. That is an old code Rein left in case there was ever a coup. Griphook knows of it, once you are meeting with him, hand him this." Harry handed Ted a sealed scroll. "He'll read it and then it will be play time."

"When?" Ted asked.

"As soon as you place some dragon hide armor on and the robes of an emissary." Harry said. "I would like to get this straightened out without Albus and Sirius here."

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"Plausible deniability" Harry stated. "With them being out of the country, Fudge cannot say they are trying to destabilize the government. Also, Albus would not want me killing goblins and Sirius…well he is not the sanest person on the planet right now. Or ever really." Harry said.

"Begging your pardon Lord Potter sir, I is having Sir Ted's armor ready." Tippy said popping into the room.

"Tippy, please take Sir Ted to his armor. Ted, do you need anything else?"

"No Mi Lord. I shall enter Gringotts under treaty, not even the most corrupt goblin would dare challenge me." Ted said before he kissed his wife and slipped out of the room.

"Why is it so important to get the Gryffindor money?" Dora asked.

"It is not just the money. The Gryffindor Vaults hold many texts, weapons, and potions, including the plans for Hogwarts. We're going to need those." Harry said.

"Well I'm famished. Do you think Tippy has any dinner ready?" Hermione said.

Two hour after he left Harry and the others, Ted apparated straight to a little used apparition point at the far end of Diagon Alley. Ted preferred this one as it was closer to Gringotts and nowhere near as busy. Normally Gringotts' human employees and a few shopkeepers used it. Adjusting the travelling cloak, Ted made his way to Gringotts.

As soon as he stepped into the bank, he knew this trip would be unlike any trip he made before. The magic that named him an emissary of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter was detectable by the goblins, especially the door guards. "Emissary, please follow me to Grimlock. He is deals with all Emissaries." One of the guards spoke.

"No. I am under orders to speak to Griphook and no one else but Griphook or Chairman Mackrack himself." Ted said.

"Who do you think you are human? You try to challenge us in our own bank." The guard said, raising his axe to fight.

Ted knew he had to make a scene and hoped Harry would forgive him for what he was about to do. "I am Theodore Tonks, Solicitor & Emissary of Prince Gryffindor of Gryffindor, Lord of the Ancient Houses of Gryffindor and Peverell. Under the terms of the _original_ charter between the Goblin Nation and the Ancient Houses of Britannia, I demand to see the Chairman of Gringotts Wizarding Bank, Chairman Mackrack or his designee Griphook." Ted told the goblin in a firm voice.

"Guards, stand down, Emissary Tonks has announced himself and has requested an audience with the Chairman under ancient laws." Another goblin said to the guard.

The guard spoke to other goblin in their native tongue, only be stopped when a sword appeared at the guard's throat. The wielder was the newer goblin who then spoke to Ted. "Emissary of Gryffindor, I am Griphook. Please come with me."

Ted followed the goblin past the stunned crowds and into a hallway. Once the door closed Griphook turned to Ted. "Lord Potter has learned about his inheritance I assume."

"Yes he has. Lord Potter has asked me speak to you today about the Gryffindor Alliance." Ted said.

Griphook stopped short and looked at Ted. "I see. How would Lord Potter learn about this?"

"I cannot reveal that at this time. I was not to reveal that the Gryffindor of Gryffindor has indeed returned, but I needed to cause a scene." Ted revealed.

"Do not worry about making a scene Emissary, as soon as you said Gryffindor of Gryffindor, ancient magic went to work, no one remembers anything but us. Lord Godric believed in his privacy." Griphook said.

"Excellent Master Griphook, I thank you." Ted said before getting back to business. "I was told to place this in your hands." Ted then handed the goblin the scroll Harry had given him.

Griphook broke seal but saw the parchment was blank. He ran his finger over it and smiled. "I solemnly swear I support the Gryffindor Alliance." The goblin smiled as parchment morphed into a pensieve. A moment later it activated and Griphook and Ted watched as an image appeared.

"_I am Rein of Gryffindor and this parchment is my last of instructions should I die unnaturally. I have had my family place charms on this pensieve to activate if I died in any other way than peacefully. First I must say that I have enjoyed the years I have spent working with goblins, and that what I am about to decree in no way reflects on most goblins, just those who have killed my family._

"_Ironhide of the Gringott Clan has conspired with the Sons of Slytherin to kill the Gryffindor Family and seize control of Gringotts Wizarding Bank. If you are seeing this, then they have made their move. However, they are not as smart as they think they are. For they forgot one very special piece of magic that I can do now that I am dead."_

"Oh shit" Ted muttered. He knew only one kind of magic a squib could enact after death.

"_I, Rein of Gryffindor, curse Ironhide of the Gringott Clan of Goblins and all of those who carry his blood. I curse your bloodline from ever touching gold. I curse you to never be able to handle money. I curse you for betraying my family, I curse your soul and name for eternity."_

There was a deep rumbling beneath Ted's feet as his feet and his knew the curse was working.

"_I finally curse you and your clan forever and remove from your control the one thing you wish more than anything. I remove control of Gringotts Wizarding Bank from any goblin control until the proper heir of my grandfather sees fit to return it. Until then, Gringotts Wizarding Bank is closed! SO MOTE IT BE!"_

With a loud gong, the doors to Gringotts sealed along with every single vault. Any way of moving money around was stopped. Each teller stopped their work and left the banking floor, escorting their patrons to the doors. Within minutes, Gringotts was closed and would remain that way for the foreseeable future.

"Well that was interesting." Griphook said from his desk. "I wonder why I have not been removed yet."

"Because the curse was intended for Ironhide's bloodline; from what I have learned, this will allow Mackrack to purge Grimlock and others from the Gringott Clan." Ted said smoothly.

"You are well versed in our ways Emissary." Griphook said.

"As Emissary of the Gryffindor of Gryffindor, I have to be. Now, I believe this would be a good time to see the Chairman. After all, time is money." Ted said.

"Of course Emissary, please follow me." Griphook said as he led out of the office.

"Emissary Tonks, I am Mackrack, Clan Leader of the Gringott Clan and now former Chairman of Gringotts Wizarding Bank." Mackrack said from behind his desk. The office was huge, but it almost completely empty now. Most of the ornate furniture was missing.

"It is an honor Master Mackrack. However, I would not get rid of your Gringotts Wizarding Bank stationary just yet." Ted said.

"And why that be?"

"Because the current Gryffindor of Gryffindor knows what happened regarding Ironhide and the Sons of Slytherin." Ted said.

"Really?"

"It seems that he was informed of this by some portraits in his home that would never speak until recently." Ted fibbed, but it sounded good.

"What does the Gryffindor of Gryffindor wish?" Mackrack asked.

"I believe a statement from the Goblin Council and from you, detailing exactly what has happened regarding the theft of the Gryffindor Vaults. After that, I believe that you and the Gryffindor of Gryffindor should meet and agree to a new treaty between our societies." Ted said.

"And what of Grimlock and those who had a hand in this conspiracy?"

"Under Goblin Law, what is the penalty?"

"Death."

"Agreed" Ted said. "If I may use your floo, I can speak to the Gryffindor of Gryffindor and get Gringotts reopened shortly."

"Of course" Mackrack said. "I shall speak to the Goblin Council." With that Mackrack left the room. Ted moved to the fireplace and threw in some powder he was given before leaving Potter Manor and inserted his head.

After Ted left, Harry turned to Andromeda and Nymphadora. "So I was thinking—"

"Never a good sign" Hermione interrupted.

"That I think we should have a formal dinner sometime this week. I would love to do it tomorrow night, but that is a bit fast. I need to explain to the Minister of Magic and High Lords of the Wizengamot that the Gryffindor of Gryffindor, Duke and Lord Protector of the Magical Realm of Great Britain has returned. Who's up for it?"

"Master Lord Gryffindor Sir, I is always ready." Tippy said.

"You'll need a hostess." Hermione said.

"And an adult on hand" Remus added.

"And two Blacks to make sure you both look good." Dora said motioning to herself and her mum.

Andi smiled and nodded her head, besides being a Potter, until Sirius' name was cleared, Harry was Lord Black, and a good one too.

"Why Harry?" Andi asked.

"Because it is time to put them all on notice. With Albus out of sight, I can present the third front and cowl the Minister into doing the right thing." Harry answered.

"As the Duke of Gryffindor, does that mean…" Dora asked.

"That if Harry wanted too, he could abolish the Ministry of Magic" Remus stated.

"Technically I have to have the queen's permission. Dora in essence, as Duke Gryffindor, I represent the crown in the Magical World. Technically I have to open each year of the Wizengamot, once I announce myself."

"Cool." Dora.

"Harry, I think this is a chance to really lay down the law and not your blow yours and Hermione covers. Besides that, I think it is a great time to unite all the families you hold lordship over; including the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black."

"But Sirius—"

"Will be the Black of Black one day soon, until then you are the Heir Apparent and acting Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black." Andi stated firmly.

"Then as my first act as the Acting Lord Black, I hereby decree that the Theodore, Andromeda, and Nymphadora Tonks be hereby reinstated as members of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black with all the right and privileges that are included."

A silver aura wrapped around Andi and Dora as they were made part of the Black Family again. In Gringotts, the same happened to Ted.

After the aura faded Harry spoke up. "Ok then family. We have a party to plan. First question is when?"

"Thursday Evening." Andi said. "It will give us all enough time to get ready."

"Agreed. Then all of you, including you Remus, need new robes for Thursday night. Tomorrow you are all to go shopping on me, do not argue Moony, I am not in the mood."

"Harry, do you want to have the ball here?" Hermione asked.

Harry thought for a moment. "Yes. You and I can erect stronger wards tomorrow or Wednesday as our cores settle down. Andi, if you can Dora can plan it, I would adore you. Any questions? Good. Goodnight."

Harry turned and headed off to bed, the day catching up with him at last.

"Is he alright?" Remus asked.

"He's fine daddy. He did a lot today. He started off by powering runes that until then had ever been powered by armies of men before. He then ripped his magic core out of his body, killing us both before sending our magic and souls back over 150 years. After arriving in his ten year old body, he pulled his shattered magical core back together and using nothing more than willpower, wielded it together before leaving his prison forever. And that was before breakfast." Hermione said.

"When you put it that way, I agree he deserves his sleep." Remus said.

"Well said Remus." Andi said seeing Hermione wanted time with her father made excuses to leave, dragging her daughter with her "Shopping tomorrow, nine am at the Leaky Cauldron Remus." Andi said.

"Of course; I'll bring Hermione." Remus said as he watched Andi and Dora leave, though he heard them from down the hall.

"I swear to god Dora, he is not going to disappear. Give him one night with his lost daughter before you try to jump his bones. I thought I taught you better."

"You did. I didn't try to jump him when we first got here. I thought he was sexy when I was thirteen, now he is even sexier." Dora said.

"He's—"

"Don't say a werewolf mum."

_**SMACK**_

"Do you think I would care if you dated or married a werewolf Nymphadora? I would not care. I only care about Harry, Hermione, and Remus' happiness. So give him a little time." Andi said sternly before Remus heard the floo activate.

"I married her, didn't I?" Remus asked his daughter.

"Yep. You said you were too poor, too old, and too dangerous, but Dora did not care. And neither did Andi and Ted, as you heard. They are good people and Dora has loved you since she saw you at James and Lily Potter's wedding."

"She was seven years old!"

"Nine, but it doesn't matter. She wanted to marry you. According to Andi, when you married mum, Dora was heartbroken for days. Even after mum was killed and I disappeared, she spent many hours writing letters to you, offering you support. And let's be honest, you are a sexy man underneath the shabby robes and low self-esteem."

"Thank you, I think." Remus said.

"You are daddy. You are a true warrior scholar. Tell me this, why didn't you get into Auror School, was it your grades, or let me guess it was your magical potential or your furry little problem?"

"The last."

"Good. Anyway, Harry, Ron, and I almost locked you two in a closet to get you both together. When Dora got pregnant, you tried to pull a runner and found Harry, Ron, and I. When Harry found out why you left, he called you a coward and hexed you. You went back to Dora, Andi was a little pissed at you, but you stayed until the very end. We never learned who killed you, but we do know that you killed Fenrir Greyback with Dora covering you.

"After the war, Harry and Ginny raised Teddy Lupin, my little brother, as their own son. You named them godparents."

"What about you?"

"I married Ron Weasley, the love of my life after we learned the truth about who I am." Hermione said. For the rest of the night, Remus and Hermione talked and truly got to know each other better.

It was well after midnight before they both headed to bed.

Ted was surprised to see a formal bedroom, not the entrance hall like he thought. What surprised him more was that Harry was sitting in a chair nursing a drink.

"Mi Lord." Ted said. "Should you be drinking?"

"It is a simple drink called a Shirley Temple. Coca-Cola with three cherries served in a chilled glass; completely nonalcoholic and tasty." Harry said with a smile.

"I see." Ted said, laughing at his stupidity.

"What can I do for you Emissary?" Harry asked.

Ted quickly explained what happened at the bank and about the deal he struck with Mackrack. Harry nodded, agreeing with everything.

"One last thing, please inform Chairman Mackrack to keep the bank closed for two days while he gets his people in place. Have his people use the teller windows on the north side of the bank, but let no one in. Also, inform Chairman Mackrack about the formal dinner Thursday night. It shall be my coming out party."

"I assume the girls are going shopping tomorrow?" Ted asked.

"Yes and I need you here tomorrow morningonce they're gone. Now get going, you need your rest." Harry said. Ted nodded and pulled out of the fire to give Mackrack his answer.

Harry stared into the fireplace for a few minutes before finishing his drink and heading for bed. As he climbed in, he spoke out loud to himself, "I guess I'll have to kick the Minister of Magic's ass. Damnit Ted, I was really looking forward to fighting next to Mackrack. Oh well." Harry said before closing his eyes and going to sleep.

Meanwhile at the Burrow, Bill Weasley was staring up into the night sky. _How in the hell did Charlie never tell me he had a daughter? I would have protected her with my life._

After Professor Dumbledore and the others left, Bill did indeed finish upgrading the wards and then after a small nap, told his father he would take first watch that night. Bill remembered the end of the first war, being in Hogwarts at the time. He remembered the summers when his father and his uncles would stay up and watch the property and their family. After Uncle Fabian and Uncle Gideon died, Bill began to stay up with his father.

Even after the war ended and England celebrated little Harry Potter, Bill remained vigilant. Leaving for Egypt was one of the hardest things he ever had to do. When Griphook offered him the job, the goblin sweetened the deal for him. _"William, if you take this position, I shall take in the Weasley Family as members of my clan. If anyone wishes to harm them, they also harm the Gringott Clan."_

With his family safe, Bill went to Egypt and learned all about curse breaking and magics that he never would have learned, except from the headmaster. Now, five years later, Bill was once again home, trying to figure out how he would protect his family.

"Billy?" a small voice asked.

Bill turned around and saw his little brother and sister standing there, looking at him with wide eyes. "Ronny, Ginny, what are you two doing up this late?"

"You-Know-Who isn't really dead is he?" Ginny asked.

"No. If what the Headmaster and Harry Potter said is true, then he really is out there."

"Billy, I think I'm in love." Ron said.

Bill smiled. Being an aura reader, Bill saw the halves of the soul in Ron and Miss Lupin "Maybe Ronny. But I think you need to woo her before you get married."

"How?"

"Ron, You-Know-Who is out there and you are asking Bill for love advice!" Ginny said.

"And he needs all the help he can get. And so do you Ginny. Or do you not want to marry _The Harry Potter_?" Bill remarked, stressing the boy's name.

"No, I do not fancy that fake hero, but the boy I met tonight, I might like him." Ginny said with a straight face.

"Lesson one learned then." Bill said remembering that there was another pair of matched souls around. "Alright you two, sit down and let me explain a few things to you both about dating." Bill conjured blankets and a campfire and prepared to spend the evening talking to his youngest siblings.

"Albus, do you think it is wise leaving Harry and Hermione with Remus alone?" Sirius asked as they arrived at the Chateau. He and Dumbledore arrived at Dumbledore's Chateau after meeting with representatives of the ICW. It had been long and drawn out, but they assured Sirius that he would be free in the eyes of the ICW by morning.

"Of course I do. And besides, Harry is the master of Lionfire Hall, and that is where they said they would remain." Albus said confidently. He then spotted Charlie Weasley staring into the fire in the main sitting room with Alex asleep in his lap. Fawkes was sitting on his perch by the fire singing softly.

"Charles." Albus said.

Charlie looked up at the Headmaster. "Shhh. Alex is asleep."

Sirius and Albus nodded and stared at the little girl for a moment. "I hope I'm doing the right thing. Alex is my life." Charlie said.

"You are Charlie. You both will be fine, I promise, now why don't you take Alex to bed. Upstairs, first door on the right is your room. The elves have added a second bed for Alex already. And I believe Fawkes will keep you company."

Fawkes took flight and trilled, causing Charlie to follow the bird. Once he was gone, Sirius turned to Albus who handed him a drink. "When I get my hands on Lucius Malfoy, he'll wish for death." Sirius said.

"I know Sirius, but you must have patience. And as for Harry and Hermione, they will be fine." Albus said.

"Albus, I think you have lost what little sanity you have left. Harry and Hermione are not only from the future, but are the children of Marauders. Do you really think that they'll stay put?" Sirius asked.

"Remus would—"

"Do whatever his little girl, who has been missing for ten years, asked him to do with those puppy dog eyes that she inherited from her mother." Sirius finished.

"And the ICW has raised wards to prevent anyone from leaving until after your trial." Dumbledore finished. "Hermione would have known about this."

"Yep." Sirius said.

"Oh Bugger." Albus said as poured his drink down his throat in one gulp.


	6. Chapter 5: Meeting the Flamels

Chapter 5: Meeting the Flamels

One of the draw backs Harry learned the first night he and Hermione returned was that his nightmares also came back. Over the years, the nightmares had gotten so bad that he had tried to Obliviate himself, they never worked as one of the powers of one of his animagus forms protected his mind. Harry had finally learned to control his dreaming and often dreamt of his children or other mundane things. After so many years, Harry's directed dreaming became automatic.

Of course now that Harry was almost eleven years old again, he had to relearn how to control his dreaming. That and he had to start working out, he was pretty damn small.

Harry only got three hours of sleep because of his nightmares. They included seeing Ginny die at the hands of the Dark Lady and also seeing his godson, Teddy Lupin, dying protecting his wife and children from other dark forces. As soon as Harry awoke, he knew sleep would not be forth coming, as always. Deciding he had things to do, he made his way downstairs to his mother's potion lab and began work on a few potions he would need later, including his own patented Pepper-Up Potion.

At half past five, Harry finished the potions and made his way to his office. He had a lot of work to do. The first thing he noticed was a new Gringotts Lock Box on his desk. These were extremely secure and could only be opened by someone whose bloodline was bound to the box. Harry noticed immediately that this box held the Gryffindor Coat of Arms. Harry smiled and pressed his thumb to the coat of arms, which opened the box. Inside the box, Harry found a few other boxes including boxes for his other families, Hogwarts and another with the Gringotts seal on it.

Using some very advanced magic with the Elder Wand, Harry combined the boxes into one box for easier access. Harry then secured the box into a recessed area on his desk that one of his ancestors had designed. Once done with the box, Harry moved onto other matters.

The morning passed slowly for Harry, who spent his time writing in an old spiral bound notebook he found in his desk.

Harry and Hermione had spent twenty years coming up with various plans and scenarios in case they made it back. Now that they were here, Harry had to get them down on paper. Thank god for his eidetic memory, one of the benefits of living with his magic protecting himself from the horcrux for most of his life.

Harry's magic had spent considerable energy protecting Harry from the darkness that was the horcrux. When he was freed of it, Harry realized how strong he was mentally and magically. Occlumency and Legilimency were a piece of cake now. However, no matter how good your memory was, you still had to get the information out of your head and onto paper the old fashion way.

Tippy brought in breakfast for Harry about 8am and then began to prepare the manor for the dinner in two days. Harry ate and continued to write until a thought entered his head. He turned to speak with one of the portraits in the room. "Grandfather, would a dicto-quill record inside a pensieve?"

Charles Potter was one of the most influential wizards in Great Britain, and was a very good friend of Albus Dumbledore. Charles was an Auror like many other members of the family, until he took a job behind the desk and soon became Director of Magical Law Enforcement for the Ministry. Harry learned that his grandfather had created many spells and devices to help with paperwork.

Harry had spoken to him and his parents last night when he was waiting for Ted to appear.

"I think it should. You need to setup the pensieve to play no matter if there is anyone inside or not. And with time moving differently in a pensieve, it should take next to no time." Charles' portrait said.

Harry nodded and got the pensieve started. When he exited the pensieve, there was a phoenix sitting on the back of his chair with a note in his beak.

"Hello. Who are you?" Harry asked the phoenix. The phoenix thrilled and dropped the note into Harry's hand before taking off into the air and moving to the sit on another chair by a window, looking out over the grounds.

Harry opened the note and saw it was a note from Nicholas Flamel.

_Dear Lord Potter:_

_Albus explained to Perenelle and I that you and your blood-sister have come from the future and are in need of a good cover story. We agree that it would be a very idea if we were to assume the roles of mentors to the both of you and would like to meet with you to begin._

_I would suggest doing it sooner, before a certain dinner party Wednesday. I must admit, you do work quickly and am quite surprised that the Minister of Magic has not had a stroke yet. There has not been a Lord Protector of the Magical Realm in 800 years. The Minister is scared because you are technically his boss._

_Please let my friend Pymander know when we can meet._

_Sincerely,_

_Baron Nicholas Flamel_

_Lord of the Ancient House of Flamel_

Harry looked at the paper and then the phoenix and then the paper before speaking. "Tippy!"

The house elf appeared. "Yes Master Gryffindor sir?"

"Please inform Hermione we will have guests and get her out of the damn potions lab. Her father's potion should be done already."

"Of course Master Gryffindor sir" And Tippy was gone.

"Pymander, can you please inform Baron Flamel that we would be honored for him and his wife to join us at their earliest convenience?" Pymander thrilled and disappeared in a burst of flames without having to get airborne.

Harry moved to sit back down when he heard a loud scream from outside; Harry apparated to the back of the manor and laughed at the sight. It looked like Hermione had apparated from what looked like the middle of the lake to the shoreline, which was considered almost impossible by many wizards, fully clothed.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER YOU TOLD YOUR ELF TO DROP ME IN THE DAMN LAKE!" Hermione screeched as she apparated right next to Harry.

"I told Tippy to get you out of the lab. Nicholas & Perenelle—" Harry began to say before phoenix flames interrupted him; before him and Hermione stood the legendary Flamels. Nicholas was six feet tall and looked to be in late 50s with brown hair and mischievous green eyes. Perenelle was around five foot ten inches tall with dark hair and hazel eyes. She looked to be a little more serious than Nicholas.

"EEP!" Hermione yelled before apparating away to her room.

"I take it you and Miss Lupin were having issues this morning?" Nicholas asked.

"My dear sister was in the Potions Lab working. I sent my house elf to get her out. I believe Tippy took my orders a little too far." Harry said.

"Tippy be trying to save Miss Hermy time. Also Mr. Moony said it would be funny to drop one of you into the lake. You is my Master, but Miss Hermy is only your sister. Did Tippy do bad?"

Harry laughed hard. "No Tippy. It was perfect. Please go wake up Moony and let him know we have guests. We'll be in the first floor sitting room." Harry said.

Five minutes later Harry, Remus, a now clean and dry Hermione, Nicholas and Perenelle were all sitting down with a drink.

"Now that we are all here, let us take care of introductions. I am Harry James Potter, to my right is my adopted blood sister Hermione Lupin, and this is Remus John Lupin, my Uncle in all but blood." Harry said.

"Very nice to meet all of you; I am Baroness Perenelle Flamel, and this reprobate is my husband, Baron Nicholas Flamel." Perenelle said.

"It is an honor to meet you both. Harry and I only got to meet Nicholas' portrait. Though I never did find out where Harry got it from." Hermione said.

"That is for me to know and for you to never find out I'm afraid." Harry said, looking at the Flamels and conveying where Harry got the portrait from.

"I am afraid Harry is right. As our heir, Harry would have had access to our home in France where the only portrait of me would have been." Nicholas stated.

"You the Heir to the Flamels?" Hermione asked.

"Yes I am. And I am sorry for this Hermione." Harry then wandlessly stunned Hermione.

"What did you do Harry?" Remus asked, jumping to check on his daughter. However it was Perenelle that answered.

"Hermione was mated in your past life correct?"

"Yes. Ronald Weasley was murdered in cold blood. It was afterwards that Hermione began to research how to come back. It took over twenty five years, but she did it. Since we have been here, her temper seems to be getting worse." Harry said, worried.

"It is because of the bond she has with her mate. She was a griffin or lion animagus, was she not?" Nicholas asked.

"Her and Ron were mated griffins."

"As we thought; Harry, did they ever complete the soul-bonding?"

"No ma'am. And Ginny and I did not either."

"What is your form?"

"I am a multi-animagus. But I am first a phoenix, then a lion, and then a few others." Harry said. "Ginny was the same."

"How close?" Remus asked.

"We only needed someone to seal our bonds."

Perenelle looked at her husband and then spoke to Harry. "Harry, then you four are bonded. The sealing of the bond is that last step that makes the bond impossible to break. Much like a top cap on a wall. It looks good, holds the wall together, but is not required."

"Then why aren't we dead?"

"Because magic has decided to be merciful" Remus said.

"What?" Harry asked.

"Think Harry. You saved the world from Voldemort; you then saved the world at least four more times according to your stories. Then you and your sister lose your mates, one violently and the other…?"

"Old age. She died at the age of 160." Harry said sadly.

"And now you have come back to try and fix everything that went wrong." Remus added.

"But what can we do about Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Give her and you your mates back." Another voice said. Harry looked around with his wand and sword drawn.

The voice belonged to a figure that appeared from a shadow. He was wearing an expensive black suit with matching shirt. The shirt was a banded collar, which required no tie. He was tall and lean with black long hair pulled into a ponytail with black eyes.

"Identify yourself!" Harry demanded.

"I see that you are as rude as your Peverell ancestors." The man said. "However, I will answer your question, though I only do so because I have been ordered to help. I am Death."

"Really?" Harry asked. "Well then since I am the Master of Death I order you to quack like a duck."

The man smiled and looked at Harry. "You are the so-called Master of Death. You are not MY MASTER. Only _God_ is my master." Death stared at Harry until Harry relented and lowered his weapons.

"What can we do for you?" Harry asked.

"May I sit?" Death asked.

"Of course. Do would you like to conjure a seat or should I…" Harry asked.

"Please perform your magic. I cannot perform magic like you." Death said as Harry created a matching chair. As Death sat down, Tippy appeared and gave him a cuppa tea.

"Thank you Tippy. Know that your mother and father love you and watch over you from the other side of the veil. They are pleased you are taking so good care of young Harry here."

"Thank you sir" Tippy said before she popped away. Death turned to Nicholas and Perenelle next.

"Nicholas, Merlin and Godric both say hello as well your brothers. Merlin said you must show Harry the path and your eldest brother forgives you for making him kiss his wife in the dark that time."

"You are Death." Nicholas muttered.

"Yes I am. But please, call me Gabriel." Death said. "Perenelle, your family awaits you on the other side of the veil as well. Your mother in particular."

"Then she…"

"She left the shores of Avalon not long after you married Nicholas. The Sleeping King's body remains at Avalon until the spell can be ended. Your mother returned to the mortal realm and found that you were in love and married. She paid her respects to your ancestors before calling for me. I escorted her into the arms of your father and family." Gabriel said.

"And Camelot?" Perenelle asked.

"Lost to mortals forever, as Pendragon ordered Merlin to do" Gabriel said neutrally.

"Perenelle?" Nicholas asked.

"My mother was Morgan le Fey. Not the monster history has made her to be, but a loving woman who fell to temptations of the darkness. Thank you Gabriel."

"And finally Harry; I have watched you for a very longtime. All the times you should have come to see me, but did not. I am glad, for they would have been too soon. Your parents love you and wish you the best with this new chance."

"Thank you Gabriel. But where are you here now?" Harry asked.

"Straight to the point I see. I am an immortal creature. We have no set name, but we were created when the universe was created by God. Yes we call him God, or Father, or just Him. There is myself, Mother Nature, Father Time, Sandman, Fate, and Destiny. Each of us has job to do. Mother Nature protects and oversees all living things; Father Time controls what you call time. He is also a royal pain in the ass and the eldest of us. God knew someone had to control Time, as he was not experienced with it. Mother Nature is the next oldest. I am middle child if you will. My job is to guide people into the afterlife. The youngest of us are what you would call twins. Fate and Destiny. I believe you have intimate experience with both of their work Harry?"

"Bitches they are." Harry muttered.

"Quite right. But you should be nice to Fate, as she went to bat for you and Hermione. You see, we are not allowed to interfere with each other. Destiny cannot have fate work her magic. Mother Nature cannot have Father Time speed things up, etc. I am the exception as I guide everything into the afterlife when it is their time.

"Fate had been watching you and saw that even though you had completed your destiny, it cost you too much. So she went to see Father and pleaded your case. Now Father has never interceded in the lives of his mortal children until you. Father called us together and we discussed you. One of things I never liked was the amount of dead that followed in your wake. Too many good people died because of the actions of others, while you did all you could to save them.

"Father decided that while we could not directly interfere, we could help you. The Sandman gave Hermione the information Father Time provided through her dreams, Mother Nature asked her children to provide the materials needed. Destiny and Fate decided to roll the dice and make sure no one interfered with your plans. Everything was going according to plan, until Father pointed out something to us."

"The soul-bonds" Perenelle said.

"Yes. Our job is the keep the balance, and we prepared for the two of you to return. That is why you both came back. And now we must bring back two people. Hermione's mate because she requires him in order to be complete, and yours for the same reasons, but still different."

"You mean Ron and Ginny, our Ron and Ginny are coming back?" Harry asked.

"Yes. But it will not be today, and they shall not return at the same time, for it takes great power for this to happen. Ronald shall return first, as Hermione has already made the connection with him. When they next kiss, and it must be naturally, I shall escort his spirit to this time and help him merge with his younger self. The same will be for your Ginny. Until then, Mother Nature has given me the ability to calm the animal inside her."

"What is the price?" Remus asked.

"Each couple shall be soul-bonded. When one dies, the other shall die, and there shall be no repeats, as it took all the power Father had to send them back." Gabriel said sadly.

"Will he be alright?" Harry asked.

"He will recover, but it will take eons in your time." Gabriel said. He then heard a bell sounding in the distance. "My time grows short. Perenelle, Nicholas, Father has given me a gift for you both. The Elixir of Life shall no longer be needed for you to live, nor shall it work again for you. You will both live and die naturally from day forward." Gabriel said.

"And when the two of you come to your end, I shall be waiting for you with open arms to welcome you like the old friends we are." Gabriel finished as he stood. He moved over to Hermione and placed a hand to Hermione's forehead. There was no visible magic, but Harry saw Hermione relax. "She will awaken in a few hours, and know what we spoke about, except about your mates. Nicholas, Perenelle, we have taken the liberty of preparing for you the memories needed for Harry and Hermione. Here they are." Gabriel handed over two vials to them before moving to the shadow he appeared from and opened a door that had not been there a second before. "Harry, I have some advice for you before I depart."

"What?"

"Do not let your past mistakes cloud this timeline." Gabriel said.

"I'll try not to."

"Good. And Harry…"

"Yes?"

"I do not wish to see you, your sister or your mates for many, many years."

"Of course Gabriel" Harry said.

"And when you defeat that abomination called Voldemort, make sure you kick him very hard where his balls should be. Fate and Destiny have made sure he will still have them."

Harry laughed and nodded, "Fate and Destiny really are bitches, but they do have a sense of humor." Gabriel said before he walked into the doorway and was gone.

Harry and the others were seating quietly taking in everything Gabriel had said when Tippy interrupted. "Pardon the interruption Master Lord Gryffindor sir, but Tippy needs to prepare for the party Wednesday. Tippy needs to clean the room."

"Or course Tippy. Can you please take Hermione to her room?"

"Wait Harry" Perenelle said before crossing to the girl. She took Hermione's hand in her own and spoke. "I take Hermione Lupin-Potter as my apprentice." Both were bound in a green aura then it faded. "Nicholas, the vial" Perenelle took the vial and poured over Hermione's forehead. The contents were absorbed into Hermione's head. "She will sleep for a few hours, and then be ready for the fight ahead. Tippy, take her to her room." Tippy nodded and disappeared with Hermione.

"Are you ready to become my official apprentice Harry?" Nicholas asked.

"I am; having learned from your portrait for so many years, I am looking forward to learning from the actual you."

"Take me hand Harry. I Nicholas Flamel take Harry James Potter as my apprentice and name him Heir Apparent of the Ancient House of Flamel." Nicholas said. Like with Hermione and Perenelle, a green aura surrounded them before it faded. Nicholas then poured the contents of the vial left over Harry's forehead as he leaned back. Once absorbed, Harry leaned back straight and looked in Nicholas' eyes as the bonding of Master and Apprentice finished. Nicholas saw Harry's life and all that he knew. Nicholas knew there was little he could teach Harry, but there were still a few things.

"Harry James Potter, Heir Apparent of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter, I release you from your bonds of servitude as my apprentice. I shall forever remain your mentor and friend, as long as you will allow me." Nicholas said, finishing the other end of the ritual, which would allow Harry to operate independent of himself. This way, if someone were to look at the records of apprenticeships deep within the Ministry of Magic, they would show a completed apprenticeship, as no one recorded when they began.

"Thank you for agreeing to this Nicholas. It was something we had not planned on." Harry said.

"We can teach you everything we know Harry, but first, what are your plans for Wednesday?" Nicholas asked.

"Well, I am the son and godson of some of the best pranksters in the history of Hogwarts." Harry said with an evil smile. "But we're going to need some more time."

"Time is something we have." Nicholas said as removed a time turner from around his neck.

"Oh bugger." Remus said as Harry led the group out of the sitting room and into the future.


	7. Chapter 6: The Gryffindor of Gryffindor

Chapter 6: The Gryffindor of Gryffindor

Four hours later, Baroness Perenelle Flamel was sitting at the bedside of her last, and perhaps her greatest apprentice, Hermione Jane Lupin. Nicholas was with Harry and Remus, planning out whatever men planned out when the women were gone. Thanks to the time turner, they were reliving the last twelve hours in order to get everything started, though it would take every last moment until Wednesday evening for everything to be ready. Perenelle was glad that someone talked Harry into having it on Wednesday, and not Tuesday as there were limits on what the time turner could do.

Looking at the sleeping girl, Perenelle sighed. She knew a lot about Hermione from Harry and from the Apprenticeship Bond she had with the girl. She really had been the brightest witch of her age, rivaling Rowena Ravenclaw and Perenelle's own mother Morgan Le Fey.

Yes she was the daughter of Morgan Le Fey. But the archrival of Merlin was not the woman she knew and loved. Perenelle's mother was a warm and loving woman who liked to sit beneath the trees on Avalon and in Britannia and sing softly to the animals and to nature. That woman became the Morgan Le Fey that fell victim to the darkness because Merlin thought he was infallible in his training. That was also the woman whom almost killed Arthur Pendragon and most of his Knights. When Morgan finally realized what she had done, _she_ and no one else escorted Arthur Pendragon to Avalon where he would sleep. She remained vigil, vowing to protect Arthur while he slept forever. It was shortly after this that Perenelle, who had lived on Avalon most of her life, left the island.

Perenelle was pulled from her thoughts as Hermione stirred and began to wake. "Good afternoon child. Did you have good rest?"

"Yes I did. But why…?" Hermione asked, still half asleep.

"Harry had to stun you. We then performed very ancient magic so that your animagus form would quiet and rest."

"She needed her mate." Hermione said quietly.

"Yes she does. And one day your mate will be yours again. For now, I thought we should chat." Perenelle said.

Hermione realized that she was in bed and in her night clothes. She quickly moved to cover up, but Perenelle stopped her. "Relax child, you needed your rest. Tippy thought you might be more comfortable in your bed clothes. Now, can you explain to me how you were able to solve Lycanthropy?"

"How did you know that?"

"Thru our bond."

"Oh." Hermione said. "I didn't solve it, just…changed it. It was Ron's idea really. He said when you have two sides you have two options. If you disagree with either side or view you come up with a new side. That is what I did."

"I do not understand." Perenelle said.

"Anyone who takes the potion every month will still change, but they change into a regular wolf instead of the monster. After a lot of research and a few raids into the Department of Mysteries and other huge libraries that are not exactly open to the public I discovered a few things.

"The wizard that created the werewolf used the wolf as a base and then corrupted it. I found that the wizard wished to be an animagus, but did not have the ability so he created a potion. He used too many dark rituals and lost control of his experiment. His notes and his bloodline were destroyed by his 'experiments'. The only reason I know any of this is a few of notes were salvaged."

"So your potion removes the dark taint then?" Perenelle asked, genuinely curious.

"It does more than that. That is where the last ingredient comes into play. You see the potion also requires the blood of an animagus. Thanks to mundane medicine, I was able to learn that someone infected with the Lycan Curse has a corrupted animagus gene. Do you know what genes are?"

"Yes I do. It is one of the areas of study I have spent quite a bit of time in." Perenelle said.

"Thank god. So many magicals have no idea about the mundane world. It was one of the reasons why the world almost ended." Hermione said bitterly. "Anyway, I learned that the animagus gene in werewolves was corrupted by the potion and the rituals so I went about a way to replace the gene with a healthy one."

"A monumental undertaking" Perenelle said.

"Yes it was. The 'werewolf' gene only showed when the beast was free, under the full moon. The rest of the time, it was dormant and impossible to find. That is the reason why werewolves could not be animagi. My potion causes the gene to become active and for the werewolf to transform. Once that happens, the silver nitrate attacks the affected cells, weakening the hold of the monster. After that, the potion replaces the affected gene, because it is almost dead. During the Full Moon, other genes activate which causes the transformation. The good part is that the former Lycan can transform into the wolf at any time besides that, with the right training. And no matter what can remain in control of the animal."

"Child, please tell me you were awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class. For this?"

"The Noble Peace Prize for Humanitarian Efforts, the Order of Merlin, and the Order of Gryffindor; this was after the third world war and the Statue of Secrecy was gone." Hermione said. "Madam Flamel—"

"Please child, call me Perenelle."

Hermione was quiet before speaking "Perenelle, you really are taking me on as an apprentice, aren't you? This isn't just a cover story for us?" Hermione asked.

"You are correct child. I am taking you on as my apprentice for real, just as Nicholas did with Harry. The difference is that I have more to teach you than Nicholas has for Harry. Hermione you have so much potential and you have done so much, I feel that if I did not give you all that I know then world, and you, would miss out. Though you will be my apprentice, I shall not require the oath of fidelity others do. You shall be my apprentice and my magical heir, for only my heir may ever set foot on Avalon."

"Avalon?"

"Yes. I was raised on Avalon after my mother fell into darkness. You shall not be her heir, as you are not my heir in blood. That falls to Harry."

"Who was your mother?"

"You know her as Morgan Le Fey. I shall teach you all that I know about magic, history, fighting, and living child, all that I ask is that you remember that not everything in books is accurate."

"You sound like Harry, and Ronnie, and Ginny, and Hugo. Rosie always thought books were great too." Hermione mumbled.

"Books are great, but they are written by the victors. Now, we have precious time before dinner tonight, too say nothing about the coming out party tomorrow, so we must prepare." Perenelle said as she stood up and crossed to closet. She saw Hermione still on the bed and smiled "Come child, you are a sister of Gryffindor; you need to look the part. And then we must head to a small place in America to get your hair and nails done."

Harry, Nicholas, and Remus were having a rather heated fire call with Albus and Sirius. "Albus I mean no disrespect, but if you would have gotten off your ass years ago, then this would not be happening. You knew Sirius had no trial, and you knew I was a descendant of Gryffindor so don't start with me!"

"ENOUGH!" Nicholas raised his voice which shut everyone up before they could say anything else. "Albus, you are partially to blame for this state, as are you Sirius, for you should not have run off. Harry is also to blame because he did not share his plans with you, though I understand why. Now we must put aside our differences and work together. Albus how did Sirius' hearing go?"

Albus sighed. "It went very well. Ten minutes was all it took. Sirius Orion Black is now a free man in the eyes of the ICW. They are preparing the paperwork now for the British Ministry."

"Good. As this is Harry's coming out party, we can serve the Minister with this tomorrow night. Sirius, can you get a good set of robes?" Nicholas asked.

"I already have access to the Black Fortune. Chairman Mackrack was waiting for us when we exited the hearing. I have to spend some time with some healers—" Sirius said.

"Overnight is what they said, Sirius" Albus said.

"Sirius, you need to get healthy. You still look like death on a triscuit. Tomorrow night Sirius, you need to wear your best robes and Albus, you need to wear Gryffindor colored robes—"

"No." Harry shut off his mentor. "Your family colors. You are still Lord Dumbledore."

"What of Minerva?" Remus asked.

"Her family colors as well. She is head of the Clan McGonagall. Remus you'll be in the Gryffindor colors as a member of the family. Tippy has already gone to see Madam Maulkin and will bringing our robes back." Harry said. "What about Alex?"

"I had a friend of mine check her out and found the tracing spell. It has been removed along with a few other spells that have Lucius Malfoy's magical signature on them." Albus said.

"And we have documented everything." Sirius said.

"Good. Charlie needs to be here tonight so that we can go over some of the formalities as he is Heir Apparent of the Noble House of Prewett. Bill is going to be here too. In fact I need to talk to him about taking on the Lordship of the House of Prewett. Anyway, every lord and lady of the noble houses will be here tomorrow night as well as their heir apparent, members of the Wizengamot, and Ministry of Magic Department Heads. I think that having all of the Weasleys together will be a nice gift for Arthur and Molly as well." Harry said.

"Agreed" All the men said together.

"I take it Gringotts is handling the announcements?" Albus asked.

"No. The Tonks family. By the way Sirius, I kind of made Ted Tonks the official emissary and solicitor of the Blacks, Potters, Gryffindors, and the other families." Harry said.

"Great idea. What time does this shindig start tomorrow?" Sirius asked.

"Seven o'clock. The apparition point will be open at six thirty. I've also made sure that the Hogwarts professors and board of governors are here as well." Remus said.

"What of the Queen?"

"Nicholas and I have spoken to Her Majesty and she is most anxious to come. Her Majesty, Prince Phillip, the Prince and Princess of Wales, along with their sons Princes William and Henry, and the new Prime Minister and his wife will be arriving via portkey at seven fifteen. That should be enough time to put Fudge in his place. Their guards will be here by six thirty to secure the area. In fact a few of them are already here."

"What time do you want us there then?" Albus asked.

"Albus, I would like you to enter with the rest of the masses. You should not been seen as one of us." Harry said.

"Why?"

"Because I want everyone to know why Fudge is an ass and why change must come. If it looks like you are swayed when presented the chance with everyone else, then everyone will assume I'm right a lot easier." Harry finished.

"Logical." Albus said.

"Yep. Sirius, I would like you to be here as soon as possible. As long as you are at Lionfire Hall, no one will dare touch you. Not only you are free, but you are also a Noble Lord and this entire event falls under the rules of parlay. It is one of the reasons why I can't kill the Death Eaters outright tomorrow night." Harry finished. "By the way, can you bring Charlie and Alex with you? I want Alex to have some fun before all the boring people get here."

"Harry, we need to get going. We still have much to do, even with a time turner." Nicholas said.

"Alright, anything else?" Harry asked. "Good see you both soon." Harry then closed the connection. Together the three men went off to prepare for tomorrow night.

At seven o'clock the next evening, Harry and Hermione were waiting just inside the back doors of the manor. It had taken three different uses of Nicholas' time turner and two of Perenelle's to get everything finished even with a full day of planning and carrying out the tasks, but everything was now ready.

Outside on the back patio stood many of the most influential people in Magical Great Britain, both dark and light. Nicholas and Perenelle were playing the roles of elder host and hostess to the tee, which gave the youngsters the chance to prepare Harry's speech and some Pepper-Up potions. Now was the time for the announcement, which would formally introduce Harry to the world and put them on notice. Hermione, his best friend in the world, stood next to him. She would exit first and then signal Harry to come out and head to the podium which was where he would give his speech from. After many years of effort, Harry finally became comfortable in front of audiences and giving speeches. That would serve him very well this evening.

Taking a deep breath Harry nodded to Hermione who stepped out onto the patio. She moved to the top of the stairs and gave a small signal to Ted Tonks. He cast a sonorous spell and spoke in an official voice as Remus silenced the self-playing instruments.

"Lords and Ladies of the Realm, Gentlemen, Ladies, honored guests, it is my honor to present to you Harry James Potter, Lord of the Ancient Houses of Peverell, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. Lord of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter. Heir Apparent to Ancient House of Flamel, Heir Apparent to the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black" Ted said as everyone began to realize how powerful Harry was going to be shortly. Ted could only smirk as he left some information out as they would make the Minister of Magic shit more than he was ready to already.

Harry emerged from the manor and waited for the applause and flashes from the flash bulbs to go off. After a few moments, He made his way down the steps of the manor and to the podium. Harry's speech would be going out over the Wizarding Wireless Network live.

Harry stepped up to the podium and cast a wandless spell that caused a step to rise out of the ground so that he could look over the podium. He was 11 years old after all and short after all. "Lords and Ladies of the Realm, Gentlemen, Ladies, honored guests, and everyone who can hear my voice; this includes elves, goblins, vampires, werewolves, giants, centaurs, reporters and any other creature I forgot to mention."

A number of people laughed at the reporter joke, which was his intent. "As today is my 11th birthday, as tradition indicates, I hereby announce myself to the world tonight that I am indeed alive and that I am prepared to do my part for our world. First, under Article II Section 541 of the Wizengamot Charter, I hereby declare my emancipation as the sole remaining heir of the Potter Family. It reads that at the age of eleven, any orphan who is heir apparent of their house may claim Lordship of said house. The acceptance of a Lordship dictates the immediate emancipation of the individual—"

Harry was cut off by someone he and Hermione both swore they would kill "You never claimed your Lordship in front of the Minister of Magic nor the Wizengamot. No one on the Wizengamot would give a child that much power." Delores Umbridge stated.

"And who are you Madam?" Harry asked, already knowing.

"I am Delores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic and Proxy for the House of Fudge on the Wizengamot." She responded.

Harry smiled. "I see Madam Umbridge. I regret to inform you that neither the Minister of Magic nor the Wizengamot of Great Britain has any say on who claims their family Lordship."

"Then who does Mr. Potter." Umbridge demanded.

Harry looked over at the goblin delegation and smiled. "They do."

"Those half-breeds!" Umbridge screamed.

"Silence woman!" Mackrack said loudly, putting his glass of elf wine down. "Since the time of Merlin, the goblins have been entrusted to keep excellent records of the bloodlines and to convey Lordships in absence of the Sovereign of Britannia or the Lord Protector of the Realm. That is written in the original Charter of the Ancient Houses."

"I will not allow some sub-human—"

"Silence!" Harry yelled, releasing the control of magic a little, which allowed his aura to be seen. It also signaled Albus and the others that the fun was now beginning. Hermione smiled even more as Harry prepared to verbally rip Umbridge apart.

"You are in no position to allow anything. In fact I believe the seat you hold on the Wizengamot does not even belong to the House of Fudge. As my right a Lord of the Wizengamot, I challenge the claim of the House of Fudge to have a seat on the Wizengamot. I call upon the Senior Clerk of Wizengamot to verify this if he is here right now. You may use the floo inside to return and check the hall of records. Please see Baron Flamel for entrance. I am sure that the rightful family would like to have the seat back." Harry said as he quickly cast a look at his watch. He had three minutes before the queen and her party arrived. Perfect.

"That will not be necessary Lord Potter as I am carrying copies of the records with me, as is my duty on an evening like this. If I may have a moment?" And older man asked.

"Of course. If you wish, please step over to Baron Flamel who will make sure you are not disturbed." Harry said as turned to look the men who were trying to get to the clerk. Seeing this as well, the clerk quickly made his way over to Nicholas where he opened a portable desk and began to look thru the records. Harry

"Minister Fudge, where are you?" Harry asked. The Minister of Magic moved to the front of crowd, or was rather pushed by the crowd to the front. "Hello Minister, my apologizes for calling you out and for tis question of the seat. I know the Minister for Magic would never allow anything like this to happen. It must have been an ancestor who, pardon the pun, fudged up years ago."

"It must have been, but I am sure that the Wizengamot seat is my family's." Fudge said.

"We'll see. Now minister, I was reading some of the books my mentor gave me and I have a question for you."

"Of course Lord Potter" Fudge said nervously.

"As the Minister of Magic you are responsible for the behavior all of your employees at all times they represent the Ministry of Magic, correct?" Harry asked.

"Ahhh…"

"You are correct Lord Potter." Augusta Longbottom said from the crowd.

"Thank you Madam." Harry said before turning back to Fudge "So Minister, why in the world did you hire a woman who clearly hates anything not human?"

"She does not—"

"I am sorry Minister, but I believe she does. Did you not hear her? Calling the goblins, those responsible for our economy sub-human? Are you that deaf, or maybe you agree with her?" Harry accused.

"Now see here—" Fudge began, but was cut off by a wandless, gestureless spell from Harry. Harry then turned to face public.

"Did we not survive a war fought over blood purity?"

"Yes we did Lord Potter." Dumbledore said from the crowd.

"Thank you sir." Harry said before turning to the crowds again. "Why did we fight a war? Why did Lord Voldemort try to take over Great Britain? The reason is because he and his followers were afraid. They were afraid of change, afraid of muggles, and afraid of the other magical creatures we share this planet with. We do not own this planet exclusively; we share it with all other living things. We Death Eaters walk all over us because we were told that they were too strong to fight against them! It took the sacrifice of my mother to banish a monster who would not stop killing until we were all dead. Many of his followers were sent to Azkaban, but there are many who are walking the streets today and in the Ministry of Magic. In fact, I bet there are those who are still loyal to the Dark Tosser here tonight."

Many people began to stir and look around, looking for someone acting strangely. "Relax everyone, everyone here is here under the rules of parlay and no one may attack another while here tonight. However, in the coming days, I shall present evidence that has come to my attention to the Wizengamot and to the International Confederation of Wizards about those who escaped justice the first time around." This caused many of the Dark Families to look like they ate sour candies, but knew that if they left, they might as well place a sign on their back saying "DEATH EATER"

Harry then turned back to Fudge who was shaking in his boots. "Minister Fudge, I would recommend you set your final affairs in order because when I am done with you, Azkaban will be too good for you."

"Who do you think you are?" Someone in the crowd shouted. "Who gave you the power to overthrow the Ministry of Magic?"

At the same time a portkey arrived right behind Harry. Harry felt the portkey arriving and smiled. "I believe that she has the power. Lords and Ladies, announcing Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith." Harry then dropped to one knee, as did every other man while every woman curtsied. Though many of the people at the party were purebloods, they had been taught very well that the Monarch was still in charge of them.

"Arise my subjects." The Queen said as she made her way to the podium. She saw Cornelius Fudge looking rather pale while other people were very angry looking. She looked to Nicholas and Albus who nodded then to Harry who was eyeing the Minister. "Good evening my subjects. I am honored to be here in front of so many of you for the first time. For over five hundred years my family has not directly interfered nor have we known what has happened here. That ends today." The Queen moved from the podium and Prime Minister Blair moved to the podium and spoke.

"By order of the Sovereign Ruler of Great Britain, Queen Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her Other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, the following laws are hereby enacted and enforced by ancient magic. One. The Ministry of Magic is hereby dissolved. In its place shall be the Ministry for Magic, which will be headed by the Queen's Minster for Magic. The Queen's Minister for Magic shall be appointed by the Queen with the recommendation of the House of the Wizengamot of Great Britain and the House of the High Lords of the Magical Realm."

"So ordered" The queen said.

"Two, anyone who works for the Queen's Ministry for Magic or enters the Queen's Ministry for Magic building shall be questioned under truth serum regarding their involvement in any illegal activities."

"So ordered" The queen said.

"Three, those prisoners who are currently housed in Azkaban Prison shall have an automatic appeal of the sentence to the Supreme Court of United Kingdom. Anyone found not guilty by that court shall be compensated 200 galleons a day for every day they were unlawfully detained and have their wand returned to them within one hour of their release. Anyone found guilty shall be sent to a new facility which is to be built."

"So ordered" The queen said.

"Four, any criminal of the Ministry of Magic of Great Britain who has been found innocent of the crimes they are accused of by an international court of law shall be considered innocent. They shall also be compensated 200 galleons a day for every day they were unlawfully detained and have their wand returned to them with one hour of their release. That means that the criminal Sirius Orion Black is a free man."

Sirius removed the glamours he was wearing and stood tall next to his godson, wand in hand. Next to him were Nicholas, Perenelle, Albus, Amelia Bones, and Rufus Scrimgeour.

"So ordered" The queen said.

"Five, until further notice, all travel between Magical Great Britain and other countries and territories is restricted."

"So ordered" The queen said.

"Chairman Mackrack, Director Croaker, raise the wards please." The queen asked.

The Chairman and the Director of the Department of Mysteries stood before the queen and removed small pendants that they wore around the necks. The queen removed a similar pendant and placed it on top of the other two. When this happened, the Chairman and Director chanted in old Gaelic for a few seconds. Afterwards everyone felt ancient magic settle over them as they realized what had happened.

"Thank you gentlemen. Prime Minister, continue." The Queen said.

"Six, as of this day forward, Lord Potter Harry James Potter is hereby recognized as the High Lord of Hogwarts and of Hogwarts Valley including Hogsmeade."

"So ordered" The queen said.

"Seven, as the Heir to Godric Gryffindor, I hereby proclaim Lord Harry James Potter to be the Lord Protector of the Magical Realm of Great Britain. He shall serve as the official representative of the Crown in all matters concerning the magical subjects of Great Britain."

"So ordered" The queen said. "Harry James Potter, kneel before your sovereign."

Harry moved to knee in front of the Queen and waited patiently. "Harry James Potter, I hereby dub thee Duke Gryffindor of Gryffindor, Lord Protector of the Magical Realm of Great Britain and representative of the Crown." The Queen slowly performed the touching of the sword to Harry's shoulders, knighting him. As soon as the knighting was finished, ancient magic went to work enforcing the rules Queen Elizabeth ordered. "Arise Duke Gryffindor."

Harry rose from his knees and turned to the crowd as Prince Charles and Princess Diana placed a heavy over robe over his existing robes, denoting he was now the Lord Protector. Harry noticed for the first time that everyone was perfectly quiet; they were all shocked at what had transpired.

"Minister Fudge, you and I need to have a small chat. Duke Gryffindor, may I be so bold as to use a room in your home?" the queen asked.

"Of course. Miss Lupin can escort you to the main sitting room."

"No need. I was here often when I was a child." The queen said then turned to her Prime Minister and Fudge "Gentlemen." The queen then headed for the manor with the two Ministers, Prince Phillip, Prince Charles, and Princess Diana.

Harry moved back to the podium and smiled. "This concludes the boring part of the evening." There was laughter from the crowd "As this is a traditional coming out party, now we can eat and enjoy the evening. The wards will open at midnight. Until then, enjoy." With that the podium disappeared and the musical instruments began to play by themselves once again.

The queen settled into a chair in the sitting room and was immediately served by Tippy, who looked very happy to be serving the queen.

"Minister Fudge, I want you to understand that at this moment, you should be thrown into shackled and tossed into the deepest hole I could find. However, Duke Gryffindor believes in second chances and is willing to give you one."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Fudge said.

"Thank Duke Gryffindor and do not think you are getting away with anything. You will step down from your office and will retire from public life. If you disobey this, the Lord Protector shall have my permission to kill you where you stand."

This shocked Fudge. This was serious, but he knew that he had to comply. "I understand."

"Good, now I want a proper briefing about Magical England, right now." The queen demanded.

Outside at the party, Harry and Hermione were moving around meeting people and having a good time. The first people Harry went to meet were the Weasleys, who all came tonight, by personal invitation of Harry and Hermione.

"Lord Weasley, it is an honor to see you and your family." Harry said.

"Mi Lord." Arthur said as he bowed. "This is my wife, Molly, and our children." Arthur introduced the rest of the family as per tradition, even though they all knew each other.

"Lady Weasley, I believe you are missing two of your clan." Hermione said.

"My second oldest, who is also Heir Apparent to the Noble House of Prewett." Molly said.

Harry smiled and leaned into speak to Arthur and Molly, "Turn around then."

Both did as they were asked and saw their son Charles with an almost carbon copy female version of himself in his arms. "Charlie!" Molly said before she ran to Charlie. Harry smiled and moved away from the family and saw Lucius Malfoy staring at the Weasleys.

"Lord Malfoy! Are you quite well?" Harry asked.

"Yes Mi Lord, very well." Lucius said.

"You know, if things were different, I would have no problems killing you right now." Harry said with a straight face.

"I see your position has gone to your head." Lucius said.

Harry spoke in a cold voice. "You are a Death Eater and have tortured too many families. Put your affairs in order Lucius."

Harry then moved on deeper into the crowd and met more people, including many young ladies. It was after speaking to the Longbottoms that Harry heard Sirius at the magical microphone speaking.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, as tradition, I would like our host, the Duke of Gryffindor come to the dance floor for the first dance of the night."

Harry moved to the center of the dance floor, along the way he grabbed Hermione. When they arrived, Sirius, who was playing his part perfectly, spoke. "Who is the pretty young lady?"

"This is Hermione Lupin-Potter, daughter of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter, apprentice to Baroness Perenelle Flamel, and my adopted sister." Harry said as _Wind Beneath My Wings_ began to play. It was the song they danced to during the sibling dance at both of their weddings. Ginny and Ron both agreed it was one of the finest dances the two had ever seen.

The two moved across the dance floor elegantly, with Harry showing off over a century of dance lessons and times dancing with his wife and sister. At the end of the song, Harry kissed Hermione's hand and then they both moved off to dance with others, knowing this was part of their duty.

The dance floor quickly became full as many couples took to the floor. Harry danced with almost every woman and girl under the age of eighteen there. He even danced with a few of the older ladies including Molly Weasley, Andromeda Tonks, Narcissa Malfoy, who was a terrific dancer, Dora Tonks, Augusta Longbottom, and little Alexis Weasley whom he carried around as she began to fall asleep. The only one who he had not danced with yet was Ginny, who had not gotten into line yet.

Hermione was much the same way, and had to smash a few toes as some of the young men had wandering hands. These included many of the future Slytherins including Malfoy, Nott, and some Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. She was pleasantly surprised that Neville did not kill her toes, and kept giving her weird looks as they danced. She also danced with the Weasleys, except Ron, who was talking with Ginny the entire time.

As midnight approached, Remus announced the time. As per tradition, all of the eligible men and women lined up around the dance floor and waited for Harry and Hermione to choose their partners for the last song. Harry looked around and spotted Ginny while Hermione focused on Ron. Harry moved to stand in front of Ginny and smiled. "May I have this dance?"

"Of course Mi Lord" Ginny said as Harry spun her out to the middle of the floor. Hermione took Ron's hand and escorted him out, not waiting for a yes or no. Once they were out on the floor, the band started to play _Tears in Heaven._

The song was very special to golden quartet as it was the song they all danced to at both their weddings in the past as couples. It was their way to remember those that they lost. Ginny rested her head on Harry's shoulder as the danced, lost in her own little world. "Mi Lord—"

"To you I will always be Harry." Harry stated.

"Harry, why do I have the feeling that you and I are attached somehow?"

"Because the Potter men for over 800 years have fallen in love with red heads, normally by the age of eleven" Harry smirked.

"Really? What do you intend to do about it?" Ginny asked, feeling rather rash.

"This." Harry said as closed the distance between their mouths and kissed her on the lips. It was a short kiss, but it meant the world to Harry, and to the other half of Harry's soul that was looking down on him from her place in heaven.

Meanwhile Ron and Hermione were dancing, not quite as well as Harry and Ginny but close.

"You know, you really scared the crap out of me the other day." Ron said, whispering so only they could hear.

"How?" Hermione asked.

"When you appeared out of nowhere, you looked like you were ready to kill." Ron admitted.

"I was."

"But why?"

"Because…you and I were very close." Hermione said.

"We were married weren't we?" Ron asked.

"Yes."

"There is more, wasn't there?"

"You were taken from me. And I refuse to lose you again. It took a lot of people to stop me from killing myself the first time."

Ron was quiet for a moment as a memory that was not his own flittered through his mind. It was seeing Hermione, much older with graying hair with a wand turned on herself.

"You'd look beautiful even as an old lady." Ron said and without thinking he leaned forward and kissed Hermione on the lips, promising a very different future than the past Hermione had already lived.

In heaven, a small group was looking down on the gathering with interest.

"Didn't you tell them our return could only happen naturally?" Ginny Potter asked Gabriel.

"He did. However, Harry was quite right about the Potter Curse and Ron and Hermione love to break rules as much I did." James Potter said as he entered the observation area.

"Like someone else I know." Ginny said.

"Yep."

Ginny sighed, "So the curse is real?"

"What Potter Curse?" James questioned jokingly.

"Yes father-in-law of mine." Ginny said.

"Yep. For over 900 hundred years, Potter men have fallen for strong redheads. Normally early in life while their sisters have fallen for those who would complement them, and give them the passion they need. Harry fell in love with you when he was eleven. The problem was he never was shown love from Vernon and Petunia so he had no idea how to deal with it. Now, he has over 160 years of love to compare to how he feels for your younger self."

Ginny nodded and then turned to Gabriel. "When do we go back?"

"Soon." Gabriel said.

What no one knew was that Gabriel had already visited Ronald and gave him a push after he had spoken to Harry, Remus and the Flamels. He knew that with Harry's leadership, Hermione's brains, and Ginny determination that they needed Ron's strategic mind in order to save not just their world but the universe as they knew it.

"Where is Ron?" James asked.

"Working with Lily and Lancelot on his swordsmanship" Ginny answered.

"Why, he can beat everyone including Pendragon easily now." James said.

"Relax James, Lily knows what she is doing." Gabriel said. "Ginevra, you and Ronald shall return on the blood moon, which is in a month their time. Also, there are two others who have returned, but only one knows his past."

"Neville!" Ginny said realizing that Neville was too good of a dancer while she watched him and her. Also, Neville had not made it to heaven when he died. "Hannah made sure he could dance. How long has he been back?"

"Three weeks, right before he was dropped out of the window. I'll show you what happened to his dear uncle when Neville responded to the attempted murder." Gabriel said.

"WHAT!"

"Algie tried to kill Neville. With Neville gone, he would become the Longbottom of Longbottom. He also bound Neville's powers when he was a baby. Do not worry, Algie also stole from the Department of Mysteries, he shall…what is the proper saying…rot in places worse than hell of eternity." Gabriel said.

"Who is the other person to return?" James asked.

"Miss Lovegood. Though her past is sealed, her soul returned when Neville's did, the magical backlash caused her mother to not practice the spell that killed her."

"Are they soul mates?"

"No. Though they were happy with their lives, they missed so much by not being together." Lily said entering the observation room with Ron.

"Did you see what you did?" Ginny asked her brother.

"Are you kidding me, Ginny, I feel like I am split between here and there. Who do you think said he wanted to marry her?" Ron said.

"It is because of your animal forms. They are drawn to each other and have even crossed barriers thought uncrossable." Gabriel said.

"I know. You said we'll be returning on the blood moon?" Ron said.

"Yes, now come there is much to do before then." Gabriel said as he walked the two Weasleys out of the observation area.

Everyone watched as the two couples danced and kissed, breaking too many hearts along the way. No one knew where Harry Potter had been, they would learn in an interview with the _Daily Prophet_ later in the week, but they knew he knew love and whom he loved. It was the redhead in his arms.

Perenelle and Nicholas looked at the foursome with love in their eyes, for these two couples would lead the Wizarding World into a new golden age and they would help them wherever they could. Knowing the evening was drawing to a close, Nicholas escorted his wife out to the floor and took her in his arms once again and danced.

Remus and Sirius were looking out over the crowd, thinking about their missing friends, loved ones and their charges. Remus missed his late wife, but knew that with his daughter here, he would be happy. However he did owe the Grangers a visit. Hermione was everything he could hope for in a daughter and he approved of her choice in men. Ronald Weasley came from a good family and hopefully would show his daughter how to have fun. He looked towards Dora Tonks and decided to listen to his daughter and asked her to dance.

Sirius was thinking about how much Harry had already changed his life. He was a free man, and godfather to one of the most powerful men in the world now. He saw so much of his long gone friends in Harry it hurt. He knew he messed up and should have never have gone after Peter. He vowed to be the man he should have been all those years ago, and that included settling down with a good woman. Which if the way Remus and Dora were looking at each other, was exactly what his old friend was going to do sooner rather than later.

Albus stood next Minerva and thought about everything he had been told by Harry and examined his own feelings actions over the years. He wished he would have done things differently, though now he had a chance thanks to Harry. "Minerva, would you care to dance?"

"Of course Albus" Minerva said, a little surprised.

Slowly many other couples joined those on the dance floor, enjoying their time together. One of the couples was the Malfoys, who were speaking very quietly, and dancing much closer than they normally would.

"Cissa, I will either be dead or in Azkaban by the end of the week." Lucius said. He had been quiet for most of the night since Harry's speech, only giving short answers and bowing out of small talk that often was a part of these events. He had been thinking about what following his Master had cost him and his family. It cost him more children, Narcissa had wanted badly, and a chance to use his skills to better all wizard kind, not just those who followed a lunatic.

"Why?" Narcissa asked.

"Why do you think? Potter has evidence. He would not have said anything tonight if it was not ironclad. And besides, I am tired of this life."

"Lucius?"

"I am tired of being a bastard. I never wanted this life, but I was good at it. I am the twelfth Lord Malfoy and every one of us have tried to destroy our world."

"But what about the purity of our race?" Narcissa asked.

"You never believed that any more than I did. My Lord promised power, but the torture I received was not what I expected."

"What brought this on?" Narcissa asked her husband.

"Potter and also Draco. I want him to live a different life, a better life. Albus Dumbledore is over 150 years old and is still going strong while most Dark Lords have not lived to see 50. Maybe there is something to this love business and being opened minded. I cannot do that. I am too covered in dark magic to ever come clean, but I want you and Draco to. Narcissa, I love you. I love more than I ever thought I could love anyone or anything. I know I have not been the best husband to you, or a father to Draco, but understand that I will make it all up to the both of you."

"I'm scared Lucius." Narcissa whimpered.

"There is no reason to be anymore. I shall make sure you and Draco are well protected my love."

"I love you husband."

"And I love you my wife. Tomorrow, I shall go to Dumbledore and confess everything."

"Why him?"

"Because Fudge is a fool and Dumbledore will arrange for a fair trial and if I ask, he will protect you and Draco" Lucius said before he moved to kiss his wife again, not noticing that Draco was watching them, knowing something huge was coming.

Finally the song ended, and everyone watched as the wards around Lionfire Hall became visible and then faded away, signally that the night was over.


	8. Chapter 7: A Meeting With the Queen

Chapter 7: A Meeting With the Queen

Nicholas, Perenelle, Sirius, Remus, the Weasleys, Albus, the Tonks family, and Amelia Bones all stood around as everyone else began to leave the party. None of them wanted to break the magic between the two couples who were still dancing to something only they could hear.

"Should we stop them?" Percy asked.

"Percival Ignatius Weasley if you do anything to disturb them then I shall turn you in to a vase to decorate my sitting room." Andromeda said.

"But they are—" Percy began but was put in his place by his little niece.

"Unca Percy be quiet. You is not making the fairies happy."

"What do you mean Sweet Pea?" Charlie asked.

"Fairies" Alexis pointed. Charlie looked and sure off on the far side of the dance floor was hundreds of fairies dancing away to whatever music Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron were dancing too.

"What in the world?" Charlie asked, but it was Perenelle who answered.

"Fairies are magical creatures who survive on pure love. This is proof of the love these youngsters have for one another."

"Why didn't we see them earlier?" Sirius asked.

"Because fairies do not like man, we are too barbaric for them. It is one of the reasons why the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts is forbidden. There was a colony of fairies there for many years." Albus said.

The fairies and the two couples stopped dancing as their personal music stopped playing. Ginny and Hermione turned to the fairies and nodded before the fairies retreated to the forest and the couples turned to the group.

Harry and Ron escorted the ladies up. "Thank you all for coming tonight. A lot was said, but there was even more that was not said. Now that Parlay had ended, there will be those who will try to stop us, because of that, I would ask you all to be extra vigilante. If you feel the wards around your homes are weak, then please remain here, we have the room." Harry said to the group.

"Now if you will excuse me, I must see the queen and her Minister for Magic. Albus, Ted, Nicholas, could you please join me." And with that Harry kissed Ginny's hand and moved away towards the house.

Sirius, knowing it was time to step up took over. "Bill, are the wards around your parents' house strong enough to block a Death Eater attack?"

"To be honest, I have no idea. They are pretty strong, but I don't want to test them with my family there." Bill said honestly.

"William, I will have a team of our warders check out the wards around your ancestral home immediately." A voice said from behind everyone. They turned and saw Chairman Mackrack and Griphook walking back up the path that led to the apparition point. "If they need to be upgraded, we will handle that as well."

"Chairman" Bill said with a bow, everyone else copied Bill. "The wards have been upgraded recently by the Duke of Gryffindor based on some new schemes I have been designing."

"Then you should lead the warding team yourself." Mackrack said.

"Unfortunately no one can remain at The Burrow while the wards are being checked and rebuilt." Bill said to his family.

"That's ok, Bill. There are enough rooms for everyone to stay here." Hermione said.

"Shouldn't that be Harry's decision?" Molly asked.

"As Harry's blood-adopted sister, I have am the de-facto Lady of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter and the Ancient House of Gryffindor until Harry marries, at which time his wife takes on the role, but I remain daughter of both houses. That means that I can decide who can sleep in our family homes." Hermione said politely, but everyone saw that Hermione was drawing the battle lines for the wars that would come in the future.

Over the years, Hermione and Molly had butted heads many times about what a proper lady should do and should be. Hermione also disagreed with Molly sheltering her children, especially Ron and Ginny, from the world. Once Ron started to experience the world, he grew up very quickly.

"Thank you Lady Gryffindor." Arthur said, knowing he needed to defuse the situation quickly. He also knew it was time to rein in his wife.

"I am not Lady Gryffindor, I am Hermione, or Lady Hermione as I am Harry's sister. Now, who else needs to stay?" Hermione asked.

Everyone decided to remain at Lionfire Hall except for the Flamels who would stay at one of their homes in Wales and Amelia Bones, whose house was under a Fidelius Charm. Alastor Moody was the secret keeper. Hermione quickly and efficiently went along and placed everyone in bedrooms. Remus and Sirius took their old rooms on the third floor near Hermione's. Ginny bunked with her while Ron and Charlie took the last room on the floor except for the nursery, which went to Alexis, even though she was a young lady. Thank goodness she was like all the Weasleys and loved quidditch.

On the second floor was where Molly and Arthur were staying, in the east wing of the house what Hermione called the 'Parents Suite'. Molly started to complain, but Arthur silenced her and escorted her into their suite. Bill and Percy were placed in the west wing almost right underneath Ginny and Hermione's suite. The twins were next store with Dora Tonks next door to them. Andi and Ted's room was down by Arthur and Molly's. With everyone assigned suites, Hermione excused herself to her room, where she and Ginny spent time talking before calling it a night.

Harry and his entourage entered the sitting room where Fudge was just finishing his rather bleak report to the Queen.

"Duke Gryffindor, do you know how out of touch my magical subjects are compared to the mundane?" the Queen asked.

"Yes. The United States, Canada, Japan and a few others are the only countries where the magical and mundane populations live in the same century. The British, French, German, and other 'Old World' countries are still in the Victorian age."

"What about Spain and Greece?" Prince Phillip asked.

Harry tensed when Phillip asked about Spain as it brought back memories. "Spain is…just odd. Both Mundane and Magically" Prince Phillip and the Queen laughed loudly. "And Greece…well there are not many magicals left in Greece."

"Why not?" Prince William asked who entered the room after the party outside broke up.

"The gods of Ancient Greece were witches and wizards. Hades released a spell which killed off almost anything magical. The magic remained very strong, as it was elemental magic. It was in the 1600s that Wizards from Italy, at the request of the Vatican, were able to remove the spell. The Greek Islands are still a no man's land for many magical people because of that. Though there is still much history there." Nicholas said. "I was on the second expedition to survey the ruins of Athena's Temple and discovered the Wardstone Hades had used."

"Minister Fudge, you are dismissed. I must speak to Duke Gryffindor and Lord Dumbledore." The Queen said. Fudge turned to speak to Harry, but Harry simply ignored him. Knowing the dismissal, Fudge left the sitting room and floo'd back to the Ministry.

"That man is an ass." Prince Charles said.

"Charles!" His mother said.

"It's true mother and you know it."

"We will talk about this later." The Queen said before turning to Harry and Albus. "Who will the Wizengamot and the House of Lords recommendation?"

"I believe Amelia Bones, especially as most of the people who will vote against her will be convicted by the courts in the next few weeks." Harry said.

"Do you think Fudge will hang on that long?" Princess Diana asked.

"I think so. Amelia is changing out Fudge's protection detail and issuing him some secure portkeys for a few days. He knows that he is done for." Albus said.

"Duke Gryffindor, I want you to understand a few things before we take our leave." The queen said.

"Yes Your Grace." Harry said.

"Being the Lord Protector is not the same as being a dictator. You represent myself and the interests of the crown in Magical England. That being said, you can overrule the Wizengamot and my Minister for Magic, but you must have a very good reason. The Magical World did not sign the Magna Carta so they are not entitled to self-rule. If they mess up again, we shall be forced to intervene with the full force of the crown." The Queen said firmly.

"I understand Your Grace." Harry said.

"Lord Dumbledore, I have known you for many years, I will not do what Price Phillip first suggested. But understand this; you are the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. You and the Wizengamot serve as a check on the Ministry. Also, I believe that the time for come for you to start giving up some of your titles and positions. Take your pick, but you must lose one of your positions before the end of the month."

"I have already spoken to the International Confederation of Wizards and have explained my reasons for stepping down from my position as Supreme Mugwump. Jonathan Archer from America is the gentleman I have recommended to succeed me. He is in his early thirties and has shadowed me since he graduated from Salem." Albus said. At the queen's questioning look Albus explained. "Harry, Nicholas, and I have already had this chat. The most important position I hold is that of Headmaster, and then Chief of the Wizengamot. Even then, I hope that once the Ministry and Wizengamot get onto level ground that I may be able to hand off the reins of the Wizengamot to someone else."

"Very well." The queen said before turning to Harry. "I also want weekly meeting with you Duke Gryffindor, to talk about Magical England, also, when we are in private, you may call Aunt Liz. As we are related."

"Thank you Aunt Liz." Harry said.

"Then as the day is late, I believe it is time for us to leave." The Queen said.

"Grandmother, Captain Jennings has the portkey ready for us." Prince William said. "He is outside the door waiting for us."

"Then let us be off. Duke Gryffindor, keep me posted." With that, everyone rose and the Queen and her group left the room. A few seconds later, the sound of a portkey leaving could be heard.

Harry turned to Ted, Albus and Nicholas. "Well, how do you think it went tonight?"

"She raised the wards. Those wards have not been used since the late 1500s." Albus said, still surprised. "They did not work in the 1940s when we tried against the Germans and Grindelwald."

"The Director of the Department of Mysteries would not allow it. The wards would have destroyed the Statue of Secrecy." Harry said.

"Those wards will only work for three days. Harry, do you have the evidence ready?" Nicholas asked.

"Ted has the files from Gringotts already and the information from the pensieve is already finished." Harry said.

"Harry, Lucius Malfoy left me a message as he and Narcissa were leaving." Ted said.

"What did it say?" Albus asked.

Ted read the message. "_Theodore, the time has come for me to pay the piper. The New Duke of Gryffindor told me that my time has come to an end, and I feel he is right. I will turn myself over to Dumbledore, all I ask is that Narcissa and Draco be taken care of._"

"Why now?" Albus asked.

"I threatened Lucius, and I may have cast a few spells on him to see the error of his ways." Harry said.

"Harry—"

"Albus, I am not going to justify myself to you. What the queen did not say was that she was disappointed in you. This was your mess to clean up and you never did. So now we do it my way. I am not a _White Wizard_ like you think I should be. The world is not black & white; it is all shades of gray." Harry said hotly. "Besides, the Dark Magic that the House of Malfoy has used to tie it's bloodline together must be destroyed."

"What do you mean?" Ted asked.

"Why do you think the Malfoys only have one child? When the Malfoy line was founded, from a descendant of on old French line, the man used very old, very Dark Magic to give his family the power it needed to become a Noble House in less than 30 years of its founding. Since then, the magic is renewed through a blood ceremony between father and son before the son starts Hogwarts. Lucius told me after the war about the ceremony and what it did to him, and what it did to Draco and why Draco refused to perform the ceremony on his son. It is one of the reasons that Ron and Hermione let Rose & Scorpius date and marry. I wound up adopting Scorpius into the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black and then named him the Black of Black after he and Rosie married."

"Ted, contact Malfoy and tell him to meet us at Black Castle in Yorkshire at noon tomorrow. I'll bring Sirius and contact Amelia as well." Albus said.

"Well then, I believe that is all for this evening. Goodnight." Harry simply left the room, leaving the three men alone. Ted, sensing a heated discussion quickly coming, took his leave from the room. Tippy informed him that he was staying the night and headed off for bed.

"Albus, Harry is right and it is high time you get off your high horse. Remember, Harry and I know what you did as a youth." Nicholas said firmly.

"He is taking people's free will!" Albus said.

"He is dealing with a known Death Eater. Besides, I saw the spell he used, he gave Lucius a glimpse of what would happen if Voldemort returned. Do you think Tom would be happy with Lucius? He pleaded the Imperious Curse and used a lot of gold while others like his dear sister-in-law rotted in prison. No, at the end of the day Lucius Malfoy is a coward, but cares for his wife and son. He will give up his life to protect them. Is it not what you are always preaching? That love is the most powerful magic there is?"

"Yes but—"

"There is no but Albus. Now leave here and return to your home for the evening. And by all that I hold dear I swear that if you try to go around Harry I will deal with you myself!" With that, Nicholas left the room leaving Albus alone. A moment later Tippy appeared.

"Mentor Flamel says that Tippy needs to have Headmaster Professor Dumbledore leave now. Tippy will be doing as Mentor Flamel says." With that Tippy snapped her fingers and Albus suddenly found himself no longer in Lionfire Hall, but high above the Black Lake at Hogwarts, suspended in midair.

Tippy appeared right next to him and pointed one of her little fingers in the Headmaster's face "Yous be upsetting Master Lord Potter. Yous needs to be punished. Fawkes agrees." With that, Tippy released the Headmaster and watched as the lead weights she connected to his shoes dragged him quickly down into the lake. Tippy watched, invisible, as she floated down to the shore of the lake as the Headmaster tried to pull himself from the water for almost an hour before she smiled and disappeared back to Lionfire Hall.


	9. Chapter 8: Longbottom and Family Seats

Chapter 8: Longbottom and Family Seats

It was almost ten o'clock in the morning by the time Harry made it down stairs. His young body still needed at least eight hours of sleep a night. Harry also figured that Nicholas had spiked his glass of warm milk that Tippy gave him. Either that or Tippy did it herself.

As Harry sat down for breakfast, he asked Tippy to join him "Where is everyone Tippy?

"Miss Hermy is with Madam Mentor Flamel in the potions lab working on Mr. Wolf-man's potion. Mr. Wolf-man went to his old home to pack his old belongings; Mentor Nicholas went to see your dogfather. Mr. Wheezy left for the Ministry, Sir Emissary and Miss Emissary are with your dogfather. Miss Nympie is at the Auror training, Mum Wheezy left to the Burrow to gather clothing for the other Wheezys, the other Weasleys are asleep still. Headmaster Professor Dumbledore is not coming to Lionfire Hall after Tippy be dropping him into lake last night."

"Tippy, why do you do that?" Harry asked.

"That be a very old Potter tradition. Whenever someones not be doing whats they should, we elves drops them into a lake. Is dropped Headmaster Professor Dumbledore into the Hogwarts Lake. Fawkes said Tippy should, and Tippy enjoys it."

Harry was laughing very hard now. "What about me? Do I get dropped into the lake?"

"No Master Duke Gryffindor sir. Not until yous have a mate. Then shes the only person whos can order Tippy or any elf to do that."

"Ok Tippy. Thank you. Can you please take a message to Nicholas for me?" Harry asked.

"Of course!"

"Tell Nicholas I want the Malfoy House Elf Dobby. He is an old friend of mine."

Tippy nodded and disappeared with a small pop. Harry decided he needed to go to the Ministry and start looking through some files, but he needed help to do that. Running down his list of possible help, he did not hear the floo start up; only the wards around it notified him that someone was there. Harry quickly made his way to the travel room. The travel room was the only room in the manor that someone could floo in or out of or apparate or disapparate from without the permission of the Lord of the Manor.

Harry made his to the room and saw the face of Neville Longbottom staring at him from the fire. "Neville, what can I do for you?"

"We need to talk Duke Gryffindor. We need to talk about why in the hell you and Hermione decided to try and come back by yourselves."

Harry looked at Neville again and saw the eyes of his old friend who had been an auror and a teacher in their previous lives.

Harry lowered the wards and Neville quickly stepped through the floo. As soon as he arrived, he crossed to Harry and stared at him for a few moments before hugging the other boy tightly.

"I can't believe you two did it! Why in the hell did you come back now, I've been here for over three weeks already!" Neville said.

"Come on; let's go to my office and chat." Harry said.

Five minutes later, both men were seated in Harry's office with a glass of mead in their hands and every single privacy ward both of them knew, which was a lot, were in place. "I've missed this. Gran will not let me anywhere near the stuff." Neville said.

"I can imagine. Neville, how in the hell did you come back?" Harry asked.

"It was two days after James came to see me. He said that you and Hermione left Saint Mungo's and were saying goodbyes. I'd known what Hermione had been working on for years. When James said you both were saying goodbyes, I knew. Anyway, later that day there was a huge magical explosion out in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean. I knew it was you guys at once. From what I heard that little stunt warped space, time, and magic for three thousand miles in every direction.

"That night after dinner, I took my nightly stroll out through the gardens at Longbottom Manor. I stopped and spoke to Hannah and Luna's graves for a few minutes, just like I have done every night I have been home since they passed. As I was speaking to Luna, I felt a sharp pain in my chest. I figured it was a heart attack and that my time had come. I dropped to my knees and then onto my back as the pain increased. I laid right between the girls. I closed my eyes thinking that it was time to be with Luna, Hannah, and everyone else. The next thing I know I wake in my old room in the Manor in my ten year old body. Come to find out it was the day Uncle Algie dropped me from my bedroom window.

"When I woke up and realized where and when I was, I quickly dropped into a meditative trance and began working the blocks on my magic loose. Algie sneaked in and threw me out the window. I had just managed to remove the last block when I realized I was in the air. My magic responded and I landed on both feet, but I was pissed. I looked up and saw Algie looking at me in alarm; I channeled my magic into a wandless summoning charm and ripped him through the window and down to my feet. I then used legilimency and learned why he did it.

"Do you know that if I were to die, he would be the new Longbottom of Longbottom? Anyway he also placed a number of charms on Gran which I removed before Gran went nuts and almost killed him. His trial was a couple days ago and he was sentenced to the Veil of Death for attempted line theft of an Ancient and Most Noble House." Neville finished.

"Are you ok?" Harry asked.

"I'm getting there. With you here, I am much better. I've been working on plans since Algie was taken away. Gran is much different too; she's now much closer to Gran I knew after the war; though I needed to memory charm her after I caught Algie. Our elves covered for me, they said they caught Algie placing charms on me and responded in kind. Reggie, my personal elf later said that I stopped breathing so he used old elf magic, which should not have worked, to try and save me."

"And the fools believed it too didn't they?" Harry asked.

"Yep. So who else is here and who knows what?" Neville asked.

"Hermione and I came back, I pulled my core back together, Hermione broke free of the Grangers, Albus knows, also about everything else. Remus knows some, so does Sirius. The Weasleys know some, and Hermione and I are the apprentices of the Flamels. As you saw last night."

"How did you take seeing Ginny?"

"Hard. Hermione shifted in front of Ron and intercepted a killing curse meant for him while we were talking. And Alexis is home too by the way."

"The eldest kid is home, thank god. How is she?"

"Scared. In fact the entire Weasley family is here. We may try to get a quidditch game going today." Harry said.

"Cool. So what is the plan?" Neville asked.

"I need you to take your family seat. With your parents the way they are, you can claim Lordship over your family."

"What about Gran?"

"Albus is talking about stepping down from his position of Chief Warlock. I think your Gran would be great."

"We can talk to her. I want to tell her the truth Harry, about everything."

"I agree. The family needs to know. But we have a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it in. The wards will only hold for three days since they were raised. Madam Bones has the files and the blessing of the Queen to search anyone and anywhere within Great Britain. The High Court is ready to hear the cases and to pass sentence. I also have the new plans for Hogwarts ready, I just need to drop them on Albus, and watch as Snivellus sputters before having a stroke." Harry said with a smile.

"You really hate him don't you?"

"He was a spy, and he loved mum, but he was a vile petty man and I am going to give him a reason to hate me that has nothing to do with being 'James Potter's Son'. And then he is going to become the most respected Potions Master in the last five hundred years." Harry said.

"You're insane, you know that?" Neville asked.

"Yep." Harry said as he finished his Mead. "Well since you are here, you want to tag along as I deal with Lucius Malfoy?"

"Hell yes. What are you planning?"

"Lucius is confessing to Albus, Sirius, and Nicholas as we speak. With you and I there as members of the Wizengamot, we can convene a tribunal and get his testimony on record."

"You know I am not a sitting member of the Wizengamot yet, correct?" Neville said.

"Yep. Neither am I yet, so we need to the Wizengamot Chambers. Historically, the day after a coming out party, The Clerk of the Wizengamot remains in the chambers of the Wizengamot to record any official declarations." Harry said.

"Hermione drilled that information into you didn't she?"

"No Percy and Lily Luna did." Harry admitted.

Neville went quite, thinking about his children and grandchildren that no longer existed as well as his two wives. After Hannah passed away during delivering their son Francis, Neville and Luna married and together raised Luna's three children and Neville's four. The seven children knew their 'other mother' as all the kids called Hannah.

"Thinking about the kids?" Harry asked. He had given Neville some time to think about their past while he had gone about the room pulling out certain items he would need after the Wizengamot Chamber.

"Sorry Harry." Neville said, pulling himself out of his memories. "I was thinking about Luna and Hannah actually. Anyway, I need to swing by the Manor and get my Signet Ring before we go to the Ministry."

"Do you know where it is?"

"You're going to your voodoo aren't you?" Neville asked.

"It is not voodoo. I am only creating a link between two locations through another dimension." Harry said as he began to move his hands in a very intricate manner, seconds later a ring of black smoke appeared in front of Harry.

"We also need to get our wands. If too many people see us using wandless magic, they'll start saying something." Neville said, but Harry was not paying nay attention to him.

"Where in the hell is it Neville?" Harry asked.

"Oh sorry, the ring in my…my father's desk, top drawer on the right."

Harry nodded and concentrated on the ring of smoke, seconds later Neville could see the desk in question inside the ring as if through a mirror or a window.

Neville reached through the ring and opened the desk and removed the case the ring was in. Neville pulled the case back through the portal and watched as it closed.

Neville opened the case and looked good and hard at the ring that had been passed down through the Longbottom Family since the Family was founded eight hundred years ago. The ring was gold and held an amethyst stone setting with a lion inside of it. The lion represented the connection to Gryffindor whom the Longbottoms were descended from.

Neville placed the ring on his finger and felt the magic within it merge with his own magic.

"Good let's head to the Wizengamot Chambers." Harry said as he waved his hand and transfigured his clothing in the appropriate robes for this trip. Seeing this, Neville did the same thing.

"So since we are supposed to be eleven years old, shall we take the floo?" Neville asked.

"Of course" Harry said as he dropped his wards and headed for the fireplace in the study.

"Wizengamot Chambers!" Harry said as he stepped into the green flames and disappeared with Neville right behind him.

Both boys appeared in a finely decorated arrival room. The exact location of the Wizengamot Chambers and the attached offices was a closely guarded secret. Many people believed that it was beneath the Ministry for Magic, but that was not true.

Thanks to the use of portals and ancients wards, the Wizengamot Chambers were actually located under the Palace of Westminster. Only a very select set of individuals could penetrate the wards and cross from the magical legislative body into the mundane legislative body of England. No one knew how these wards and the magic of the Wizengamot complex worked or even how they were powered.

Harry and Neville dusted themselves off and made their way to the only set of doors out of the room. When they approached, the doors opened by themselves into a long hallway. Along the way they chatted like two eleven year olds would, selling the image that they were children. When they reached the end of the hall two men were blocking the doors.

"They are Aurors chosen specifically to protect the Wizengamot. Any crimes committed by or against members of the Wizengamot are investigated by them, not the Ministry of Magic." Harry said to Neville.

"According to some of my dad's journals, he was thinking about accepting an appointment to the Wizengamot Guard shortly before everything happened." Neville said, adding to the image of them being children.

"The Wizengamot is not in session today. State your name and your business." One of the guards said.

"I am Duke Gryffindor of Gryffindor, Lord Protector of the Magical Realm, High Lord of Hogwarts, Lord of the Ancient Houses of Gryffindor, Peverell, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, & Hufflepuff, Lord of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter, and Heir Apparent of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. With me is the Heir Apparent of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Longbottom, Neville Francis Longbottom.

"We are here to claim our seats on the Wizengamot as is our right. Where is the Senior Clerk of the Wizengamot?" Harry finished.

"My apologies Mi Lord. Please enter; the Senior Clerk and Sliptongue of the Goblin Nation are in their office." The guard then opened the door and allowed both boys to pass. At the far end of the room, which appeared to be a large anteroom, stood another guard who opened a door marked _'Office of the Clerk of the Wizengamot of Great Britain'_ Harry and Neville entered the room to find three people sitting at two desks.

One was an old man easily the same age as Dumbledore, but with short white hair. His eyes did not sparkle like the Headmaster's blue eyes, but these brown eyes held just as much wisdom. Next to him was an older goblin wearing very formal robes. This was the legendary Sliptongue. Sliptongue was one of the last generals of the goblin armies alive. He was to be protected at all times by order of the Goblin Council. For him to be out of Goblin territory was very strange.

The third person was a middle aged man wearing the same black robes the old man had on. He, unlike the other two, wore glasses and had long brown hair that was tied back into a ponytail.

"Duke Gryffindor, I see that Lord Flamel has taught you well. It has been the tradition for well over 800 years that the day after the formal introduction of a new Lord, that they come here to accept their charge as a member of the Wizengamot." The old man said. "Many of the families have declined the formal introduction parties over the last one hundred years because of the various Dark Lords and Ladies

"I know. But Lord Flamel was determined that I bring back the tradition so here I am today. I have also brought another young lord as well." Harry said.

"That I see. Very well Mi Lord. Please step forward and we shall begin." The old man said.

Harry and Neville stepped forward to Sliptongue. "Gentlemen, before you can claim your places on the Wizengamot, we must first perform an inheritance ritual. Duke Gryffindor, because you are Lord Protector, you must undergo the full version of the ritual. Mr. Longbottom, you do not."

"Please perform the full ritual on Neville. I will pay the extra cost as I know the materials are expensive." Harry said.

Sliptongue looked at Harry before looking at Neville. "Very well. Use the daggers in front of you and cut a deep mark across your palm and let the blood flow into the inkwells in front of you."

Both did as they were told. As soon as their blood touched the inkwell, it turned from red to a dark black. The peacock quills that had been sitting on the parchment next to the inkwells stood up, dipped into each well and began to write on the two parchments.

"Gentlemen, this will take some time to finish, allow me to give you a tour of the Wizengamot Chambers." The old main said.

He led Harry and Neville out of the office and into the hallway before he spoke again. "Gentlemen, my name is Robert Locksley. My family has been the keeper of the Wizengamot Chambers for five centuries. I have served as Senior Clerk of the Wizengamot for over sixty years. Before that I was a Junior Clerk, and before that a page. There is not a person alive who knows these chambers better than I."

"We are honored Mr. Locksley that you would escort us today." Neville said.

"Thank you Lord Longbottom. Now for the tour, for hundreds of years, people have assumed that the Wizengamot Chambers have resided within the Ministry of Magic. This is not true. Do either one of you know where we really are?"

"We are far below the Palace of Westminster, beneath the sewers and the ancient tunnels." Harry said.

"Yes we are. And before that these very chambers were located beneath Buckingham Palace, and if necessary, they can be moved again, but it would take an enormous amount of magic. More magic than any twenty people could hope to have." Locksley said as he began his tour.

"The Wizengamot Chambers are much bigger than people realize. There is of course my office, and the various store rooms that go with it, there are the offices of the Chief Warlock, Offices for each member of the Wizengamot, conferences rooms, the office of the Sergeant at Arms of the Wizengamot and the quarters of the Wizengamot Guard. The Sergeant at Arms also serves as the Captain of the Wizengamot Guard. The Wizengamot Guard do not report to the Ministry, they report to the Chief Warlock and the Wizengamot. Included in the guards' quarters are the barracks and training areas for them."

During his speech, Locksley led Harry and Neville through many different hallways and secret passageways, describing various pieces of history that had happened as well. Harry and Neville had of course seen all this before as they had been members of the Wizengamot for many years before their trip in time. In fact Lily Luna Potter became the first female Sergeant at Arms of the Wizengamot.

Locksley opened huge double doors and led the two boys into the main chamber of the Wizengamot. "This is the House of the Wizengamot of Great Britain. Only members of the Wizengamot may access this level and the three levels below us at any time. The Minister of Magic may only descend into the Well of the Wizengamot, which is what the Wizengamot seating area is called, at the invitation and approval of the Chief Warlock and the Council of High Lords. Gallery seating is above the well and is accessible via the Ministry of Magic through use of undetectable portals. Lord Longbottom, your family seat is on the second tier on the far side of the well."

Locksley pointed to the far side of the chamber where a spotlight appeared and highlighted the Longbottom seat. "As you know, your grandmother has served as Regent of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Longbottom since your parents were attacked. While a Regent has the right to vote on most motions made in the Well of the Wizengamot as if they are the Lord of their house, they cannot vote during any committee meeting, but they are allowed to speak and cannot serve on the Council of Lords."

"I know, a Regent also cannot vote on the removal of a Ministry Official either." Neville said.

"That is correct. Once the ritual is complete and magic confirms you are the Lord of your house, the crest on your seat will change. The bronze edging around the seal on the front of the podium will change to gold and the cloth that covers the back of the seat shall disappear." Locksley said.

Neville looked and saw a that blood red sheet covered back of the chair that his seat on the Wizengamot symbolizing that is was held by a blood relative regent .

"As for you Duke Gryffindor, the seats of the Potter, Black, and Peverell Families are on the far side of the well with the Hogwarts Seat and those of the Founders' Families are on what you would call the south side of the well. Once magic confirms what we know, all of your seats will move to the north end of the well, above the Chief Warlock's Chair. That is where you will set and preside as Lord Protector."

"Unless the Sovereign presides over the session." Harry said.

"Not true. The Sovereign will indeed take the highest seat, but it is not yours. The seat of the Sovereign appears when needed." Locksley said.

"Oh."

"Also as Lord Protector you will be able to vote with every seat you possess." Locksley finished.

"It is terrifying that one man can hold so much power." Harry said.

"It is even more terrifying that one man as young as you are will soon have this much power." Locksley said. "You do know that a normal education for you is out, correct?"

"Neville and I both know that. As the Lord of Hogwarts I have a school to run, besides everything else. Neville and I have been studying since we were small children. We both plan to take our OWLs and NEWTs this year. After that we'll both be working on our Masteries in different fields while at Hogwarts. Besides all that, we are both going to be taking classes on the Wizengamot from Headmaster Dumbledore and others." Harry said. 

"But I do understand where you are coming from. I plan on having good agents watching everything, but there are some things I must see to myself. However I hope that people like the Senior Clerk of the Wizengamot would be willing to give me advice when needed."

Locksley nodded in approval at Harry and Neville. "I would be honored. I will say this; you certainly seem to have a better plan than many 30 year olds I know. If I make one suggestion, open your classes on the Wizengamot to other students. I can provide a list of those students who are heirs to seats on the Wizengamot. Many of them are Muggleborn or half-blood. But for now, we must return and see what see magic has granted you."

The small group returned to the office where Sliptongue stood waiting for them. When they entered, Sliptongue, the greatest of the goblin generals, dropped to one knee.

"Duke Gryffindor, I am honored to say that magic has deemed you worthy of your titles and families. I was wrong to ever doubt you or your family."

"_Arise Sliptongue, Son of Hammerhead, General of the Goblin Armies, Defender of Gringotts."_ Harry spoke in perfect gobbledygook.

"_How do you know these things Mi Lord?"_ Sliptongue responded in his native tongue.

Harry smiled and spoke in English once again. "That is for me to know and you to find out later on. Now, I believe that we need to finish our business here first."

"Of course Mi Lord" Sliptongue said before speaking to Neville. "Neville Francis Longbottom, step into the runic circle please."

Neville crossed to the far side of the room stepped into a circle of runes that Sliptongue had pointed to. "The runic circle you have stepped into was made by Joseph Ravenclaw when the Wizengamot was formed. The purpose of this circle is to confirm what the inheritance ritual and magic has already told me."

Neville stood proud and tall in the middle of the circle and spoke a very old ritual. "I am Neville Francis Longbottom, and I claim what is rightfully mine through blood, conquest, inheritance and marriage!"

The runes in the circle flared brightly in multiple colors before they faded out, leaving an exhausted Neville and three family crests floating above him like vapors.

"Neville Francis Longbottom, as Senior Clerk of the Wizengamot of Great Britain I hereby declare you to be the Longbottom of Longbottom, Lord & Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Longbottom." Locksley said. The first of the family crests seemed to fall into Neville and disappeared, leaving only two more.

Locksley looked over a parchment Sliptongue had given him and spoke. "Neville Francis Longbottom, Lord & Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Longbottom, as Senior Clerk of the Wizengamot of Great Britain I hereby declare you to be Regent & Heir Apparent of the Noble House of Lovegood and Heir Apparent to Ancient and Most Noble House of Abbot. Magic has released your family seats from their current state. You are hereby recognized as a member of the Wizengamot."

Both family crests followed the Longbottom Crest and settled inside of Neville. "Harry, am I still bond to the girls?" Neville asked as he stepped out of the circle.

"It sounds that way. You may have to marry both of them." Harry said with a straight face.

"It might kill me. They both loved sex." Neville said.

"Lord Longbottom, Duke Gryffindor, neither Robert Locksley nor myself are stupid. You are from the future." Sliptongue said.

"Yes we are." Harry said.

"Your secrets are safe with us. We are bound by oaths to not reveal anything that is revealed here. However, I would suggest we meet later on to see how we can assist you. I assume things did not go well." Locksley said.

"You are the reason Grimlock is gone and Mackrack is in complete charge of Gringotts." Sliptongue stated.

"Yes. But let us finish here first." Harry said as he stepped into the runic circle. "I am Harry James Potter, and I claim what is rightfully mine through blood, conquest, inheritance and marriage!"

"Harry James Potter, as Senior Clerk of the Wizengamot of Great Britain I hereby recognize you as Duke Gryffindor of Gryffindor, Lord Protector of the Magical Realm, High Lord of Hogwarts, Lord of the Ancient Houses of Gryffindor, Peverell, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, & Hufflepuff, Lord of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter, and Heir Apparent of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. Magic has released your family seats from their current state. You are hereby recognized as a member of the Wizengamot."

Like with Neville, the different Family Crests had appeared over Harry and settled into him as Locksley spoke. Finally Harry stepped out of the circle and spoke to those assembled. "Gentlemen, there will be time for answers to your questions, but for now, Lord Longbottom and I need to deal with some old festering items that are long overdue."

"Of course Duke Gryffindor" Locksley said. "Send an owl when you are ready."

Harry nodded and with Neville left the office and the Wizengamot Chambers.


	10. Chapter 9: Family Matters

Chapter 9: Family Matters

The boys headed to the floo and floo'd to Black Castle. Black Castle had been built over 700 years ago and disappeared from view shortly after. The Black Family did not want to deal with muggles and the poor begging for scraps so they ordered the goblins to cast one of their Fidelius Charms over the entire castle. The secret was placed within the Signet Ring of Lord Black and was passed down through time. Harry, as Lord Black from his past, still had the secret as did Neville, who was given the secret by Harry.

They popped out of the floo in the main reception room; Sirius must have had the house elves busy already because all the coverings were gone and the castle no longer seemed quite as gloomy as Harry once remembered the castle.

Harry expanded his senses and felt where Sirius and the others were. They were in the Lord of the Castle's Study. Harry quickly headed that way with Neville in his wake. When they arrived at the door to the study, Harry and Neville both felt the strong wards that were in place, obviously Dumbledore's handiwork. Dumbledore thought his wards were impenetrable, but he forgot something very basic, which Neville laughed at.

"He warded the door, but not the walls."

"Nor the hinges" Harry said with a smirk. "Would you like to do the honors?"

"Not with Malfoy in there. I do not want to give him too much information." Neville said.

"Good point." Harry said as turned to the door. "Evanesco" Harry pointed his wand at the three sets of hinges which quickly vanished, causing the huge oak door to fall in, taking the wards along with it in a mighty crash.

Inside the room, Sirius, Nicholas and Albus were speaking to Lucius Malfoy about what his involvement with Lord Voldemort during the war and after. They all turned at once with wands drawn as Harry and Neville strolled into the room over the fallen door. "Knock-knock" Harry said with a smirk.

"Harry?" Sirius asked.

"Yep. Dumbledore, you need to ward the walls and the hinges next time." Harry said. "And I believe that you know Neville Longbottom. We have just come from the Wizengamot where we took our family seats on the Wizengamot."

"And what is your purpose here today Lord Longbottom?" Albus asked, noticing that the young Longbottom seemed too grown up for his age. Almost as if…he too had been sent back in time.

"With Duke Gryffindor, myself, Lord Flamel, and yourself as Warlock present, we can convene a tribunal regarding a Lord of the Wizengamot and acts of treason he either has committed or was aware of." Neville said. "Because of his time being wrongfully imprisoned, Duke Gryffindor and I believe that Sirius Black is not well enough to fill the role of the Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black at this time."

Sirius nodded his head, knowing that his head was still screwed up from Azkaban, and that they needed everything here to be above reproach. "As Duke Gryffindor is the Heir Apparent to the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, he has every right to be concerned. I also agree with him." Sirius stood and held out his Signet Ring to Harry.

"Hold onto the ring Lord Sirius. I am only assuming Lordship of our family for a short while until you have spent time with the mind healers." Harry said before turning to the others in the room.

"As is my duty as Lord Protector of the Magical Realm, I hereby order the convening of a tribunal for Lord Malfoy, Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Malfoy. This tribunal shall be governed by myself and the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. Lord Flamel of the Ancient House of Flamel shall serve as member of the tribunal as well as the Longbottom of Longbottom. Sirius Orion Black, Senior Member of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black is also in attendance at the request of the Longbottom of Longbottom and myself." Harry said formally.

"It is to be noted that due to Lord Sirius Black's unlawful incarceration in Azkaban, Lord Sirius, the rightful Lord Black, has declared himself unable to hold the position of the Black of Black and Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black temporarily. Thus the Heir Apparent of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, Harry James Potter, has been elevated to Defacto Head of House, and Regent of the family's seat on the Wizengamot." Neville said. "Lord Sirius is requested to remain for the tribunal due to his intimate knowledge of the Malfoy Family and various secrets that must be confirmed. Does any wish to protest any of these facts?"

No one spoke, so Neville continued. "Chief Warlock, as magic has granted our request for a tribunal, and as you are the Chief Warlock, the floor is yours."

"So noted Lord Longbottom" Dumbledore said. "To bring you and Duke Gryffindor up to speed, Lord Malfoy has agreed to share all he knows about the Death Eaters, Lord Voldemort, and anything else we ask. In exchange, he asks that his wife and son be spared. Lord Malfoy understands his life is forfeit no matter what he offers in exchange."

"Very well. Let us proceed." Harry said.

For the next eight hours, every detail Lucius could give about his time with Lord Voldemort and after the fall of his Lord was given. Names of fellow Death Eaters, sympathizers, and others who wished for the Dark Lord to win were given along with detailed notes of different transactions made. Lucius came prepared with ledgers and notes from his father and grandfather that stretched back to their time at Hogwarts where a young Tom Riddle began to draw early supporters. Even with Harry and Neville gently guiding the direction of the questioning to get the most of out of it, they were still amazed with how much the Malfoy family knew about Tom Riddle and later Lord Voldemort.

After pumping Lucius for everything he had, the members of the tribunal excused themselves to determine Lucius fate. After a lengthy debate the members of the tribunal returned to hand down the verdict. Even though Clemency was mentioned by Dumbledore, it fell on deaf ears. It fell to Harry to deliver the verdict. "Lucius Malfoy, having committed crimes to many to list, it is the decision of this tribunal to recommend to the Supreme Court of Great Britain that you be sentenced to death by passing through the Veil of Death in the Death Chamber. All your lands, properties, and monies are hereby confiscated. As the request of Lord Sirius, we also recommend that your marriage to Narcissa Black be dissolved on the grounds of a break of contract between you and the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. Do you wish to challenge these finding and recommendations?"

"No Duke Gryffindor. I knew my time had come. All that I ask is that my son and wife are taken care of." Lucius said dejected. "I would prefer my sentence be carried out with the utmost haste. Once my former associates learn of my betrayal, my life and the life of my wife and son is forfeit."

"Lord Sirius, per your request, I am willing to give Narcissa and Draco sanctuary in one of the Black properties and leave them in your care if you agree." Harry stated.

"I agree." Sirius said.

"So be it. Lord Flamel, Lord Longbottom, Chief Warlock, as Lucius Malfoy has requested sentencing to be carried out most haste, I move that we send a transcript to Madam Flamel, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court for their approval. All those in favor?"

Everyone agreed and soon enough Dumbledore sent transcripts with Fawkes. Barely five minutes later Fawkes returned. Both Madam Bones and the Chief Justice approved of the tribunal and the sentence. The Chief Justice's note also came with a certified Death Warrant.

Confirming the signatures with magic, Harry passed the notes to Dumbledore who confirmed them as well before passing them off Nicholas and Neville to view and countersign. Dumbledore turned to Lucius Malfoy once again.

"Lucius Malfoy, sentence is to be carried out immediately. In front of you is a copy of your testimony and the agreement regarding your family. Once you have signed the statement, Lord Flamel, myself, and a team of Aurors will escort you to Death Chamber where you shall be sent through the Veil. May god have mercy on your soul."

"I understand. Will it be possible to see my wife and son one more time?" Lucius asked.

"Madam Bones is arranging that at this time." Albus said.

"I'll go and wait for them to arrive, Dumbledore. I assume that they will arrive by portkey?" Neville said.

"Yes. In order to question Lucius here, Madam Bones requested a way to get in." Sirius said. "They'll arrive in the main entry way."

"Then I shall await for them." And with that, Neville left the room.

"This tribunal is dismissed." Harry said as Neville left the room. With the tribunal over, there was no longer any recording of what was said in the room.

"Lucius, are you sure you want to do this?" Sirius asked.

"What are talking about Black?" Lucius asked. "I knew what I was getting into when I saw Duke Gryffindor last night. I am surprised you did not want to off me yourself."

"I am thinking about your son and wife."

Lucius looked at Sirius, then at the others in the room and sighed. "I am thinking about them. I was marked like my father before me. If I were alive when the Dark Lord tried to return, he would require me to have Draco marked like me. We Malfoys have used our money and our influence since we came to Great Britain to bring down the government. At first it was for the French or any number of other countries that despised England. Then came Grindelwald and Voldemort, but before them there were dozens of other Dark Lords we supported quietly through money and 'influence'. Now, I wish for my son to learn from my mistakes and do something with his life. Play quidditch, become an Auror, hell I don't care, as long as he is happy and safe.

"I am many things Sirius Black. A monster, a thief, a Death Eater, a treasonous bastard to name a few. A good father or husband was never one of them. Then again, I never had any good role models for that. Look at what I have done to my son."

"What do you mean?" Flamel asked.

"Lord Flamel, I love my son, ever since I first held Draco in my arms, but that did not mean that I was not disappointed in him. I could tell that he would not follow the Malfoy way, he had too much of the Renegade Black Blood in him from Narcissa, so I bound him to me. Draco has been poisoned by potions to make him bend to my will for years. He is in essence a clone of me. With my death, Draco will now be free."

"Why? Why would you do that to your child? Albus asked.

"Because I am the product of my father, and he the product of his, Dumbledore; this evilness ends here with me." Lucius stated. "You are right Dumbledore, love is the greatest magic there is. I would do anything to make sure my son and my wife are safe. With me dead and all information I know in the hands of the DMLE, the only safe place for Draco and Narcissa is with the Black Family and free of the potions.

"Sirius Black, I want your word on your magic that you will protect my wife and son, make sure Draco becomes the man that I could never be and that my wife is happy and above all safe."

Sirius withdrew his wand and swore on his life and magic to protect Draco and Narcissa.

Once done, Lucius turned to Harry "Duke Gryffindor, I have no idea how you were able to get the information you have, but I must commend you anyway. Remember this, the man who was once Tom Riddle might have had compassion, but Lord Voldemort does not. Nor does he tolerate mistakes. Whatever happened that night will not happen again."

"I know Lucius, I know." Harry said.

"How?"

Harry stepped up to the convicted man and spoke quietly and quickly, "Because, where I come from, you and I already had this conversation."

Lucius looked shocked before smiling. "Only someone with the cunning of a Slytherin, intelligence of a Ravenclaw, and the insanity of a Gryffindor could pull that off."

"And the compassion of a Badger Lucius; if I let the other bloodlines that are within me rule my actions, you and your family would be dead and I would be pissing on your graves." Harry said before placing his hand on Lucius' head, making sure Lucius would never be able to tell anything about what he learned about Harry.

Harry and Sirius both felt the portkey arrive and informed the others that Madam Bones had arrived. Moments later, Madam Bones entered the study with Narcissa following.

"Where are Lord Longbottom and your son?" Harry asked.

"The Longbottom of Longbottom felt that he needed to teach my son a lesson in manners. I do hope that he hurries." Narcissa said.

"I take it you agree with Lord Longbottom?" Sirius asked.

"I do. Draco needs to learn that he is not the most important person in the world." Narcissa said as Neville entered the room with Draco hanging upside down with his hands and legs bound behind him. "It is one of the issues I had with Lucius trying to raise Draco."

"Lady Malfoy, if I ever hear your son speaking like how he was when you arrived again, I shall be forced to do something…unpleasant." Neville said.

Narcissa rolled her eyes at her son's actions, crossed to Neville and spoke. "Lord Longbottom, please release my son, I shall deal with this problem at once." Neville waved his hand, causing Draco to be fall to the ground. Narcissa did notice the wandless magic and so did everyone else.

"I have been training with Duke Gryffindor since we were eight years old madam." Neville said.

Narcissa nodded, turned to her son and slapped him across the face, very hard. "How many times must I teach you this lesson Draco? You are not the most important person on the planet. You are a small petty little boy who believes everything his father has ever told him."

"SHUT UP YOU WH—!" Draco shouted only to be silenced by Nicholas Flamel.

"Lucius, I had better hope what we have witnessed is the work of your potion?" Flamel stated.

"It is." Lucius said sadly, disappointed again. "This ends now. Draco, come here."

Draco crossed to his father and stood before him. Lucius closed his eyes and drew upon some internal strength before slapping his son as well. "You will never speak to your mother like that again. Do you understand me?"

"Yes father." Draco said flatly.

"You are also to obey your mother and Sirius Black, for he will be the head of your family soon." 

"Why?"

"Because I am going away my dragon for crimes so heinous that I should be killed; before I do that, I wish to free you from what I have done to you." Lucius turned to Sirius. "I must call for one of my House Elves to bring the anecdote."

"Go ahead." Sirius said.

"DOBBY!"

"Yes Master, what can Dobby be doing for you?" the small elf said as soon as he arrived.

"Two things Dobby. First, go to my study, open the secret panel and removed the small pouch and bring it here."

Dobby disappeared, only to appear a moment later with the pouch.

"Good, now summon the other elves." Lucius said as he began to mix a potion from the ingredients in his pouch. All the while Nicholas Flamel watched and asked questions about the potion.

Dobby snapped his fingers and six other elves, all rather disheveled, appeared. Lucius finished the potion and handed to Nicholas to confirm then he spoke to his elves.

"I, Lucius Malfoy, Lord of the House of Malfoy, do hereby decree that the House of Malfoy is now subservient to the Ancient & Most Noble House of Black. SO MOTE IT BE!" The rags the elves had been wearing disappeared, and in their places were uniforms designed for their jobs. Along with the new clothing, each elf now bore the seals of the House of Malfoy and Ancient and Most Noble House of Black.

"Elves, I will soon be departing this world for the crimes I have committed. Once I am gone, the House of Malfoy will be no more. When Madam Bones and Lord Sirius come to the Manor, you are to open every door and storage space for them. There are to be no more secrets. Do you understand?"

The elves nodded their heads. "Good. Now return home, except you Dobby." The six other elves left, leaving Dobby alone with the humans.

"Dobby, you are to become the personal elf of Duke Gryffindor, providing his accepts." Lucius said.

"As the Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, and as Duke Gryffindor of Gryffindor, I accept." Dobby's uniform changed once again, but this time it changed into formal robes matching Harry's official robes as Duke Gryffindor.

"Dobby, please return to Malfoy Manor and oversee the elves until I call for you." Harry said.

"Of course Duke Gryffindor sir!" And with that Dobby was gone. Harry turned to Nicholas who had been testing the potion Lucius made.

"Is it safe?"

"Yes it is. There is only one potion that this can counteract. Judging by what I am seeing from the young dragon, this is correct. Draco, drink this." Nicholas said.

Lucius turned to his wife and smiled. "I have done it Narcissa. You and Draco are safe. The marriage is dissolved, you are free."

Narcissa crossed to her now ex-husband and hugged him. "Thank you Lucius."

Lucius nodded, and looked over to his son who was now sitting in a chair with Nicholas checking over him. "I must go now Narcissa. Sirius will take good care of the both of you. Remember to do one thing for me."

"What?"

"Smile and laugh more." Lucius said. Narcissa snorted and then began to cry as Lucius held her. He nodded to Sirius who took Narcissa from Lucius' arms.

"Madam Bones, I am ready." Lucius said.

"Chief Warlock, who will be the representative of the tribunal to witness the event?" Madam Bones asked.

"I will. Lord Flamel and Lord Sirius will be handling Draco and Narcissa and Lord Longbottom and Duke Gryffindor have other items that require their attention if I am correct." Dumbledore said.

"Very well. Lord Sirius, I assume that Duke Gryffindor is the Defacto Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black?" Madam Bones asked.

"Yes I am." Harry said.

"Very well. I shall need you when we head to Malfoy Manor as you are now head of the Malfoy Family too."

"Sirius and I will be there. How about we meet in your office tomorrow at 0600?" Harry stated.

"That will be fine." Madam Bones said before she pulled out a metal ring out of her pocket, enlarged it, and soon the group heading to the Death Chamber was gone.

Sirius looked to Harry and spoke. "I'll take Narcissa and Draco to Grimmauld Place for a while until I can get the Malfoy Family Portfolio figured out. Albus loaned me a few dozen house elves from Hogwarts this morning. When old Kreacher saw them, I think he realized I was not going to deal with him so he quickly shaped up and took control."

"Take Nicholas with you, he can check on Draco's health. Neville and I need to take care of a few things." Harry said.

"We should go Harry; Mackrack is probably waiting for us." Neville said.

"Agreed" Harry said and followed Neville out of the study, down the stairs and to the floo without saying a word. Where they went was not Gringotts, but rather Ted Tonks office. They had business to take care of.

While Harry and the other men were dealing with Malfoy, Hermione and Perenelle were putting some other plans in motion. For all the years that Harry & Hermione had planned on coming back, and all of the detailed notes that both learned encase one of them did not make it back, Hermione still had more information and certain items that Harry either wouldn't, or couldn't deal with.

After departing Lionfire Hall, Hermione and Perenelle's first stop was Avalon, the ancient resting place of Arthur Pendragon. This was also where Perenelle grew up. Though this was not part of Hermione's plan, as Heir and Apprentice to Perenelle Flamel, Hermione & Perenelle agreed that the knowledge of the ancient magics that were recorded there was too good to pass up. After gathering the ancient scrolls, the memories that were stored there by Merlin and others, and a trip Perenelle's to old home, Perenelle led Hermione on a short pilgrimage to the tomb of Arthur Pendragon, the last Magical King of Britannia.

The tomb was carved into solid limestone by magic itself. The entrance to the tomb was sealed with a rock disc twelve feet in diameter made from solid granite. The disc was etched with many different runes and with words in a language that Hermione did not know. Perenelle stood before the disc and after chanting for minutes she raised her hands and the disc rolled away, revealing the opening.

Perenelle turned to Hermione and spoke. "Child, where we are about to enter is holy ground. It has been blessed by Druid High Priests & Priestesses, and other Holy Men and Women."

"I understand." Hermione said.

"What do you know of Arthur's Legend?"

"That after fighting Mordred, Arthur was mortally wounded. He left Britannia to rest and heal, that is all that is known."

Perenelle nodded, seeing that most of the story was indeed true. "Arthur was mortally wounded, and was slowly dying. My mother transported him here where I treated his wounds the best I could. Merlin placed him in eternal sleep and then we moved him here. Merlin theorized that one day Arthur's magic would heal himself and he would come out of his sleep." Perenelle said as she entered the tomb.

"Hence the legend of when Britannia would need her king, he would return." Hermione said.

"That is correct."

"His magic did not heal him though, did it?" Hermione asked.

"No it did not. The enchanted sleep has preserved his body, but his soul and magic are gone. With his body alive but unreachable, his soul is still anchored to this realm, much like Tom Riddle's Horcruxes. The difference being Arthur's soul was not split, but left his body whole. Arthur's soul roamed this island for many years before madness overtook him."

"What madness?" Hermione asked.

"Souls are a part of a whole, as you know. While on this earth, a soul resides within a body. When the physical form dies, the soul escapes and is supposed to rise into a higher plane of existence where thought and energy intermingle freely. When a soul is freed from its mortal confines, the mortal shell dies. If a soul remains on this plane without it counterpart, then the need for advanced stimulation becomes too much as it is never stimulated enough. Eventually, a soul can return from the higher plane and inhabit a new confine to live here once again. In this case, Arthur's soul was bound to this plane because his body lived, though his soul was gone." Perenelle said.

"What did his soul do when it went mad?"

"I almost destroyed Avalon and threw magic into chaos for many years." A third voice said. Hermione looked up and saw the most solid ghost she had ever seen. "Lady Perenelle, it is a pleasure to see you once again. It has been many years."

Perenelle curtsied and spoke. "It is a pleasure to see you as well Mi Lord. May I present my apprentice and my heir, Hermione Jane Lupin."

"Mi Lord, it is an honor to meet you." Hermione said as she curtsied as well.

"Perenelle, I know who she is and why she is here. Remember what this tomb is designed to do." Arthur said to Perenelle before turning to Hermione. "As the madness took control of me, Merlin felt extreme guilt for what he had done and set off to find a way to help me. He travelled to many other times and places before he discovered one where people were able to bridge to gap between this plane and the higher ones and brought back magic that would aid me."

"Why not lift the spell on your body and let it die?"

"Because Merlin, while great, was an absentminded idiot" Perenelle said. "He created the spell so that only Arthur's awakening would break it. The enchantment also prevented Arthur's soul and spirit from returning to his body."

"When Merlin returned, he began to work on modifying this tomb. When this tomb is sealed, I can tap into the ethosphere and observe everything on this plane of existence. Merlin said this tomb would become an antenna for me. So here I have lived for many years, observing everything. I have travelled beyond this planet and out into the universe. I have seen many things and learned much. But one of the things I have learned is that I cannot intervene from here." Arthur said sadly. "And that I cannot leave this island."

"Why not?" Hermione asked.

"When a soul leaves a body, it takes it's magic with it. The magic, for lack of a better word, bleeds off and must be replaced. Avalon is one of the strongest sources of magic. It is protected by different magics that by the time I reached Britannia or anywhere else, I would not have any magic left and I would simply dissolve and become one with magic."

"Arthur, if we could remove the enchantment on your body and let nature play its course, would you be willing to move on?" Perenelle asked.

"Mrs. Weasley knows the spell that her sister in law used on her brother?" Arthur asked.

"How do you know that?" Hermione asked.

"Time has no meaning to a soul." Arthur said simply.

"What does he mean child?" Perenelle asked.

"The closest that anyone got to killing Harry was someone called the Dark Lady. She said she was the heir of Morgan Le Fey, the Mistress of Black Magic. She was based out of South America and had most of South and Central America under her control. This was after the end of the Statue of Secrecy and World War III. Harry and one of his teams, they were not aurors but 'Dark Magic Experts', were called in at the request of the United States Department of Magic and the United Nations. For three years the team, and others, worked on tracking this bitch down."

"Dark Magic Experts?" Perenelle asked.

"When Harry took command of the Aurors, he and Kingsley created what were basically mercenaries. They received training from the Aurors, the Unspeakables, and many others including mundanes and other metahumans. They were not all magicals. There were Vampires, Werewolves, Veelas, and many different types of people represented. When Dark Magic was detected, they went in. Harry financed them himself. It is one of many things that Harry did that I did not approve of."

"Why would he do this?" Perenelle asked.

"Harry reasoned that there might come a time where governments would fall and hope would rest on the shoulders of a child once again. If that ever happened, he wanted to make sure they had support." Hermione said.

"His hero complex in overdrive I take it?"

"As well as his desire to not fail another child. Losing Colin Creevey, a classmate of ours from Hogwarts, really shook Harry. Then after Albus Severus, who was Harry's youngest son and Harry's godson Teddy, pushed him even more. Losing the boys almost cost Harry and Ginny their marriage, even though there was nothing Harry or Ron could have done. Anyway for three years they tracked the Dark Lady before she began her assault on the United States. Harry knew they had to stay in the fight and so he took command of Team Alpha, who had been there since the beginning, as well as Gamma, and Zulu. They had one mission, to find the Dark Lady and kill her, at any cost. Well they found her alright, right in the middle of the Rain Forest. The three teams were killed by her acolytes, and she battled Harry. This was the first time Harry had really fought since the end of World War III and it cost him. She put him in an enchanted sleep and began her master plan.

"She knew a child from Harry would be magically strong, but Harry had to be willing. She invaded his mind convinced him that she was Ginny and over the course of months, wore him down until he was willing to have her bear his child. This 'child' would actually be a vessel for her to move her soul into that had the combined magics of hers and Harry's. Ginny & I found her base of operations after searching every square inch of the Amazon Rain Forest.

"Ginny and I learned that Harry was missing and began to search days after the battle that killed the three teams. The fight set off dark magic detectors all over the world. Because of the dark magic around Harry & the Dark Lady, Ginny could not phoenix flame to them, but knew that Harry was alive.

"It took us 16 months to find the Dark Lady's base and get inside. My brother-in-law Bill Weasley led a team of curse and ward breakers that stripped the wards down. The wards cost Bill's team their lives. Bill only survived because one of his men actually knocked him unconscious."

"When we finally got to that bitch, she was already with child, but she was dying. The dark rituals she underwent made her unable to bring _it_ to term. She planned on bolstering her magic by ripping Harry's magic from him by using dark runes and rituals. The extra magic she hoped would allow her to survive. Once the vassal was born, she would then sacrifice her current body, and then move into the dark construct that she was carrying.

"I battled the bitch while Ginny used a spell that she discovered to free Harry from the sleep. As soon as he was able, Harry used the same runes that were meant to rip the magic from his body and used them to drain the Dark Lady, killing her just before I beheaded her with a cutting curse. Harry absorbed so much dark magic from her that the only way to purify it was for him to channel it into his phoenix form, which caused him to have a burning day. Harry burned every color imaginable as the magic was purified and absorbed into him.

"Ginny and I were not paying attention to the bitch's body as we were marveling at Harry's transformation. It was only after Harry transformed back into his human form that we turned and realized this fight was not over yet. From her stomach came a creature that could exist in horror stories. It matured within seconds and began to attack. The Dark Lady had sacrificed her own life for this construct to be born; giving it protection like Lily Potter gave Harry. I attacked first and was repelled by magic, knocking me out.

"Harry did not even let Ginny try and fight, he pushed her out of the way and then jumped into the fight. Years later Harry told me that while he was purifying the magic he absorbed, he met with his parents, Sirius, Albus, all those who died in the battles that he knew and his ancestors. He used what they taught him and began to battle his own child, which had always been one of Harry's fears. They fought and fought with magic before that thing moved to attack Ginny, which is when Harry got really pissed off. He summoned the Sword of Gryffindor and channeled every bit of magic he could through the sword and pierced the heart of the monster, killing it."

"Where did Ginny find the spell?" Perenelle asked.

"Ginny designed the spell from Merlin's notes that were not left here. I believe your husband Nicholas had them stored away." Arthur said.

"It would make sense." Perenelle said as she suddenly felt the strain through her bond that Hermione had been going through relieving one of the most difficult times in her life. Perenelle turned to Hermione and saw she wished to be left alone for a few minutes to compose herself.

"I did not know that this would be possible so soon. This I planned to be a long term project for my apprentice and I." Perenelle admitted.

"Lady Perenelle, your apprentice and her brother will remake the entire world. Guide her and be her sounding board, give your opinion and experience when she asks and you will be astounded by the results." Arthur said.

Hermione chose that time come over to the two and speak. "King Arthur, I can remove the enchanted sleep spell now if you would like." Hermione said.

"Lady Hermione, I would be honored to ascend from this plane at long last and meet my Guinevere and my fellow knights." Arthur said.

"What do you need me to do child?"

"Remain here and clear your mind. At some point I will need more magic and it will be easier for me to draw magic from our bond."

"Go ahead Hermione."

"Mi Lord, it might be easier for if you were to rest on top of…your body. Once the spell is lifted, you may get pulled back into your body before it…dies."

"Very well" Arthur said before assuming the position Hermione asked of him.

Once everyone was in place, Hermione then began to chant and using ancient foci that Perenelle had given her, Hermione began to cast the counter-course to forever sleep. It took ten minutes of chanting before Hermione stopped and watched as a shell of red energy dropped away from Arthur's mortal body and into nothingness. The spirit of the king settled into his body for a moment and took one deep breath before his body gave way and died. Hermione and Perenelle watched as the body began to turn into stone and the soul rose from the body.

The soul formed into a human body once again and smiled. "Thank you Child, for freeing me. You have done me a great honor. Tell your bonded that my sword, Excalibur, the brother of Godric Gryffindor's sword, is his to claim as he is of my blood. You must help him find where the Lady of the

Lake placed it. It will not give him any special powers per say, but it will aid you in your quest."

Suddenly from the far side of the tomb, a stone ring began to move before an energy vortex shot out of the middle before retreating, leaving a puddle of energy. A lone figure stepped out of the puddle, laughing.

"Arthur, you are free at last I see."

"Lancelot old man, it is good to see you. Where are the others?"

"Waiting for us" Lancelot said before turning to the two women. "Merlin and the rest of us left through the Astria Porta many years ago, after Merlin returned from his quest. We have been waiting for our brother and king to join us for many years. Guinevere and the others are waiting for you."

"Till we meet again ladies" Arthur nodded to Lancelot before turning to the two women and bowing to them. Then without warning, Arthur Pendragon and Lancelot turned into being of pure energy and shot through the puddle and were gone.

At Lionfire Hall, the eldest two Weasley boys were looking after the next generation of Weasleys who was running around chasing a phoenix. Since leaving Romania, Fawkes had been a constant companion for Alexis Weasley, but Fawkes had not been the only firebird to befriend her. When Alexis and Charlie first arrived in Romania Alexis, who was eight months old, discovered a phoenix egg when digging in her sand box. Charlie cared for the egg and on Alexis' 1st birthday, Orion hatched. Since then, Orion has been Alexis play mate and familiar.

When Fawkes and Charlie arrived to collect Alexis, Fawkes had to speak with a very angry Orion and explain what was going on and why they were leaving. Orion could not leave with them because he was settling a dispute between dragons on the preserve and ordered Fawkes to watch his familiar until he could meet with them again. Phoenixes were one of the few animals that dragons listened to. In fact most all animals looked to phoenixes as leaders of the animal world. In this case three of the dragons were fighting over one female. Afterwards, Orion flamed directly to Lionfire Hall and to Alexis' side where he was currently at.

"Charlie?" Bill asked his brother.

Charlie sighed and spoke in a quiet voice, knowing this conversation was coming. "I'm sorry I did not tell you about Alexis or Maria."

"That's a lame excuse Charlie and you know it." Bill stated.

"It's all I have Bill! When I found out Maria was preggers I flipped out! I loved her and I wanted to spend my life with her, but I was scared shitless!" Charlie admitted. This took Bill by surprise as nothing ever scared his brother, ever.

"What were you scared of?"

"That Maria would be killed. Maria was half vampire, and I knew her clan had refused to join He-Who-Most-Not-Be-Named during the war. You and I had talked about the war before and I knew there were still his supporters out there, and I knew what they would do to us."

"What changed your mind?"

"I met Maria's grandfather." Charlie said simply.

"Which one?"

"Lord Grayson, you idiot!"

"Are you telling me that you married into the one of the oldest Vampire Clans in the United Kingdom and your child is a part of the clan?" Bill asked.

"Exactly. Anyway, two nights after learning about Maria, I received a visitor."

"Lord Grayson?"

"No, the visitor was one of his men. I was asked to meet Lord Grayson at his castle and not attending was not an option. So I went and met him. I will not tell you what we talked about, but as the sun rose the next morning, Maria was my wife."

"Damn." Bill said. "So how is Alexis able to walk in the sun if she is a vampire?"

"Maria was half vampire. Her mother was an American witch, that makes Alexis roughly one quarter. She doesn't drink blood, but has really quick reflexes, heals amazingly fast, and of course has a phoenix as a playmate."

That said, Orion took flight and settled on Charlie's shoulder and began to rub his against Charlie's. "After Maria was killed and I left, Lord Grayson and Gringotts arranged for me to go to Romania. I do not work on the dragon preserves by the way."

"I figured that out Charlie."

"I run the preserves." Charlie said.

"Excuse me?" Bill asked.

"I am the man in charge of the preserves. I report directly to Gringotts." Charlie said smiling.

"Holy shit! Why have I never heard about you then?"

"You have. Have you ever heard of Christian Draconic?"

"Of course I have. I've even met the man twice in Egypt!"

"And the next time you try to drink someone under the table, make sure he is not one of the few people who can go drink for drink with you." Charlie smirked. "One of the guys on the preserve is the 'face' for Christian. Gringotts has a special form of polyjuice that lasts for 12 hours at a time. Whenever I leave the preserve I am under the effects of polyjuice."

"Wow."

"Wow is correct. Gringotts saw my value and after Maria died they and Lord Grayson arranged for the position. Besides Gryffindor, Lord Grayson is the only other non-goblin to own any stock in the bank. I also oversee the other dragon preserves across the globe including a new one that we are building down in Antarctica. When we are done with it, it will be the single largest preserve for animals in the world." Charlie asked.

"How in the hell did you learn how to run that many people? Bill asked.

"I watched Mum deal with us and then Lord Grayson gave my private tutors including himself for the first two years."

"Why do you call him Lord Grayson? Why not dad, or father, or something?"

"Alexis calls him grandpa. I call him grandfather in private. But when I am talking about him, it is Lord Grayson. All members of the family do. That reminds me, I need to contact him about recent events."

"You mean about Duke Gryffindor?" Bill asked.

"Yep. He'll want to know that there is a Lord Protector of the Realm. The clan swore to serve the position of the Lord Protector many years ago. If Lord Grayson is anything, he is a man who lives by his word."

"What do you make of him?"

"Harry? Honestly I have no idea. I mean he seems to be a nice kid, but who knows for sure. All I do know is that our lives will never be the same." Charlie said.

"I agree; I am more worried about Hermione." Bill admitted.

"Lupin's daughter?" Charlie asked. Bill nodded. "She is powerful and seems to have a crush our Ronnie. He and Ginny spoke to two nights ago about falling in love. I've also noticed that Ronnie and Ginny seem to be different since we've met Harry and Hermione as well."

"You're not able to read auras are you?" Bill asked.

"No why."

"Harry is bonded to Ginny and Ronnie is bonded to Hermione." Bill said. "Also last night I noticed both Ginny's and Ron's auras had begun to change. They look like they are older than they are."

"Ok genius, what do you think this means?"

"That we might meet our younger siblings older souls eventually" Bill stated.

Tippy appeared next to the Weasley siblings, scaring them a little "Pardon the intrusion, but Mum Weasley is asking for you and her granddaughter to meet her in the main parlor and Tippy be sent to gets yous."

"We've been summoned." Charlie said, smiling.

"Get your daughter Charlie, we do not want to keep mum waiting."


	11. Chapter 10: Amelia Is Overwhelmed

Chapter 10: Amelia Is Overwhelmed

The hardest working person in Great Britain was a young page in the Supreme Court's Office. He would go days without sleep as he was always looking up something, recording something, or delivering important documents.

The second hardest working person was Madam Amelia Bones, Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement of the Ministry of Magic of Great Britain. Even before the insanity of the last few days invaded her life Madam Bones worked insane hours. Amelia arrived at her desk promptly at 6:45 in the morning five days a week. From the moment she sat down she was busy; reports to read, aurors to slap around, decisions to be made, Ministers to investigate, and so forth and so on. On top of that she was battling corruption in the ministry and also investigating Voldemort's followers who had paid off the right people to walk free.

When she was not at work working, she was also overseeing the Bones Estate. Once one of the top five estates in all of Europe in regards to goods produced, the Bones Estate was now a relic of the past. As the only Bones of age, the Estate and all that went with it fell to her to manage. She did not even have a husband to help her as she never married. In fact the only person she spent time with outside of work was her niece Susan who she raised like her own when her brother Edgar was killed in the last war.

So when three individuals appeared in her office, 2 days ago, she was already a little busy. What these three people would drop in lap would make sure she did not sleep for days. What shocked her was that they arrived without using the door or the floo, which was thought to be impossible. Of course one of the individuals had sat in this office as the Director himself in his past, which happened to be their future.

Flashback

_Amelia has been doing paperwork at her desk when three people suddenly appeared from nowhere. Amelia reached for her wand when one of the individuals spoke rather harshly._

"_Madam Bones, if you care for the safety of your wand and your hand, you will leave place your hand on your desk."_

"_Remus Lupin? How in the hell did you get into my office?" Amelia asked._

"_That will have to wait a while. However, to prove that I am who I say I am, our Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher at Hogwarts reminded us about a specific phrase every class 'Because sometimes an Auror needs to listen, instead of shooting first and asking questions never'."_

_Amelia smiled, realizing that one of the men in front of her was her old friend indeed. She just needed to confirm one more thing "And the password?"_

_Remus sighed and spoke ago "Sir Moony swears Prongs and Padfoot were up to no good while I studied hard because of my 'Furry Little Problem'. Sir Moony also swears on his magic that Padfoot did not betray Prongs, Tiger Lily, and Prongs Junior; that honor fell to Mr. Wormtail."_

_Remus' entire body was surrounded by a golden aura, proving that magic did indeed prove he was telling the truth. Amelia was floored. Sirius and Amelia dated when they were in school, even though Sirius was four years younger than Amelia. Sirius received his 'Tom Cat' image thanks to his and Amelia's friends. Truth be told, whenever Sirius was 'dating' someone, he was normally off the grounds with Amelia. In Sirius' 6__th__ year, he, Remus, and James Potter were approached by Amelia to join the Auror Corps and do some undercover work at Hogwarts at the request of the Headmaster. _

_Dumbledore knew there had been a string of rapes and assaults on students, but there was never any evidence. Amelia, a fresh out of the academy auror, talked her boss, Alastor Moody, into the plan. Remus was the researcher of the trio, James Potter was the Intel Man. Using his family connection to the castle and her magic, James would spend time looking for offenses or clues. Sirius would be the person who would talk to the students, normally girls. Sirius would take the girls to quiet remote regions of the school. James would protect their privacy by asking Hogwarts to help._

"_Remus what is going on?" Amelia finally asked._

"_Amelia, allow me to introduce to you Lord Nicholas Flamel and his Apprentice, Duke Gryffindor Harry James Potter" Remus said as both men removed their hoods to reveal their faces._

"_Madam Bones, we have a lot to talk about." Nicholas said._

_For the next four hours, Amelia was briefed on the cover story Harry, Nicholas, and Remus had come up with. Harry had been found by Flamel and was trained by him to beat Tom Riddle. During one of their lessons on the Wizengamot and the Ministry of Magic, Harry made connections that no one else ever had, which led them to this meeting, after meeting with the queen._

"_So let me get this straight, the queen wants to raise the protective wards around Great Britain, clean up the Ministry and get all of the Death Eaters who escaped justice investigated and arrested?" Amelia asked after taking a long swig of firewhiskey from a glass Remus had poured her earlier._

"_It's more complicated than that." Duke Gryffindor said. "The Queen is reasserting control over Magical England. The Ministry and the Minister of Magic will be dissolved. In their places will be The Queen's Ministry for Magic, and the Queen's Minister for Magic. The Minister will report directly to the sovereign and to the Muggle Prime Minister."_

"_Oh Lord." Amelia said. _

Since that day, Amelia had learned just how bad the Ministry had been thanks to documents Duke Gryffindor had been giving her. They had sent an innocent man to hell, bribery had become the rule, not just the exception, and morons were running the government. However, right now she was preparing for a meeting with the Prince of Gryffindor and one of the newest Lords of the Wizengamot, Neville Longbottom. After seeing them this afternoon, Madam Bones and Albus Dumbledore escorted the convicted Death Eater Lucius Malfoy to the Death Chamber in the Department of Mysteries where the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Great Britain waited for them. After reading the sentence, the Chief Justice ordered sentence be carried out. Lucius calmly walked up to the Veil and stepped through, knowing that if he did anything, he would die and his wife and son would be killed as well.

After finishing the last of the paperwork on Lucius Malfoy's execution, Amelia turned to the information that was gathered during Malfoy's tribunal and the meeting that was about to happen. As if they appeared from her thoughts, Sirius Black and Albus Dumbledore appeared by phoenix flames.

"Good evening gentlemen." Amelia said.

"Hello Madam Bones." Albus said.

"Hello gorgeous." Sirius said to his old girlfriend somewhat shyly.

"Sirius Black, are you really being shy around little old me?" Amelia asked.

"It's been a while since I've had a chance to use any of my moves on anyone except for the dementors."

"And they do not like to date, do they?" Amelia asked.

"Only dinner dates, and only if souls are the on the menu" Sirius said.

Amelia stood up and walked around her desk and hugged Sirius tightly. "I am so sorry Sirius. I am so sorry for the hell you went through. If I would have realized what happened, I would have broken you out myself. Moody and I assumed you had a trial. It is one of many things I need to have a chat with Barty Crouch and Fudge about."

"When you do, make sure you check out Crouch's house." A voice said from the shadows, a moment later Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom appeared.

"Madam Bones, it is an honor to see you again." Harry said. "May I present the Longbottom of Longbottom, Lord Neville Francis Longbottom, my god-brother. Neville, this is Madam Amelia Bones, Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She is also Sirius' ex-girlfriend, and by the looks of it, maybe once again too."

"Madam Bones." Neville said, bowing.

"It is an honor to meet you Lord Longbottom. I knew your parents very well. Frank and I were partners while your mother was on maternity leave." Amelia said.

"My Grandmother said you were good friends with my family." Neville said "Also that our families are cousins, closer than many other families."

Amelia smirked. "Yes we are."

"Madam Bones, there are many items we need to discuss. Is Susan at home? Do you need to make sure she is alright?" Harry asked.

"No. Susan is staying with the Abbots tonight. Something happened earlier today and Susan is assisting her friend in research." Amelia said.

Neville sighed, already knowing what had Hanna's family bothered. The manor and the family magic recognized there was an Heir Apparent. Unfortunately for Neville, he was it.

"Something else to add to the list of items we need to discuss." Neville said.

"Under the circumstances about what we are going to speak about, may I suggest that we adjourn to another location where we can be more comfortable and more secure?" Harry said.

"Where?" Amelia asked.

"Lord Flamel & I prepared a location for this meeting already. It also has a time dilation field so that we can take as much time as we need." Harry said.

"I am not going to like this, am I?"

"No." Harry said.

Ten minutes later, Harry, Albus, Sirius, Neville, and Amelia were sitting in a comfortable sitting room. In the corner of the room sat a dicto-quill and parchment as well a pensieve.

"Madam Bones, what I am about to say here is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I call upon magic to prove this to be true. So mote it be." Harry said as the golden light of the vow encompassed him.

"We lied to you. I am from the future, over one hundred years from now. My adopted sister and I came back in time to fix a number of disasters that occurred including World War III and the end of life as we knew it." Harry said.

"And you all know about this?" Amelia asked.

Albus and Sirius nodded, Neville sighed. "For some reason I was brought back from the future as well. I am also the reason why the Abbot Family has an Heir Apparent. If someone were to check with the Lovegoods, you would learn the same thing."

"WHAT?!" Amelia, Sirius, and Albus asked.

"I was married and bonded to Hannah Abbot for seven years before she died in childbirth, giving me my son Francis. Mum Weasley helped me raise Francis as I tried to pull myself back together. It took almost a year before Luna walked into my bedroom, ripped off my clothes and had her way with me. That pulled me back from the brink I didn't even know I was on. It took another year for me to get my head in gear and marry and bond to Luna. She had three children from Lysander, who had been killed in a horrible accident three days before Hannah died. We raised them, Francis, and our last three children together."

"I assume that all your bonds in this world are still active?" Albus asked.

"Yes. In my time, Francis became the head of the Abbot family, Luna's oldest became the head of the Lovegood Family and our first son became the Longbottom of Longbottom after I retired."

With that out of the way, Harry and Neville began to tell the complete story of their lives. Included in this tale were many secrets that Albus Dumbledore had held onto for years. It took hours to go over the history and then to go over the plan Harry and Hermione had put into place. To say Amelia and the other two adults were shocked to say the least. Finally after almost 16 hours after they started, Amelia spoke up.

"Can we really do this?" Amelia asked.

"Yes we can. There is no other choice. If we do not, then we will die. The fallout from a Nuclear War would kill all life on this planet. We were lucky that only parts of the planet were hit hard. The middle of the Atlantic Ocean even after all of our magic and abilities to deal with the fallout was still a toxic wasteland." Harry said slowly.

"What will you have me do?" Amelia asked.

"The documents and other information are accurate to this time period, as you already know. Even while I was getting sick, I had people compiling the information I needed to bring back. Thanks to our legilimency and expertise in the Mind Arts, Hermione and I committed tones of facts to memory. I've had a dicto-quill inside a pensieve with hundreds of sheets of paper since we arrived, getting all the information out of my head."

"Nice idea Harry." Sirius said. "Learned that trick from your granddad's portrait?"

"Yes I did." Harry said. He took a moment to center himself before he dropped the biggest bombs. "Madam Bones, you only have a few days until the wards drop. With Malfoy gone, everyone will be trying to get the hell out of England. Eventually, when Fudge is tossed into Azkaban, I think you will make the best choice for the Queen's Minister of Magic with the Dowager Longbottom serving as Chief Witch of the Wizengamot, replacing an aging Albus Dumbledore who has decided to spend more time at Hogwarts." Harry said.

"Is this true Albus?" Amelia asked.

'_Sorry Albus, but it needs to be done. You know as well as I do.'_ Harry spoke to Albus via legilimency.

"I had not thought about it until now, but Harry is correct; it is time for a change in leadership. I support the idea of The Dowager Longbottom to become the new Chief Witch. Truth be told, I never wished to be Supreme Mugwump or Chief Warlock. After Grindelwald's fall, I felt it was my duty to serve as the Chief Warlock, to help England recover from the Second World War. I had thought to only serve a few short years, however that did not happen. People continued to rely on me and more as a politician, not as just the Headmaster of Hogwarts." Albus said.

"So you will remain the Headmaster at Hogwarts, and no more?" Amelia asked.

"Yes. However, I will offer my support and advice whenever it is asked for." Albus said kindly.

"And what of you Duke Gryffindor? What are your plans?"

"I plan to beat the damn snake head once and for all. After that, I plan to make sure that we mend the bridges with our mundane cousins." Harry said.

"I have a feeling you are going to be a pain for me for years." Amelia rumbled.

"A lot longer if Sirius has his way" Harry said with a smile which caused Madam Bones to blush.

The meeting broke up after that, with Amelia heading back to her office via Fawkes and Sirius heading to Saint Mungo's for his evening potions treatment. Albus was returning to Hogwarts to look over the new education program the Duke of Gryffindor was imposing, which left Harry and Neville to inform the Dowager Longbottom that it was time for her to serve her country. Neville and Harry were not looking forward to this discussion.

Amelia returned to her office to find only an hour had passed since she left. Even though it had taken many, many hours to get through the information, thanks to the time field, Amelia still had a number of hours left to work on this insane plan that she had been dumped with and many hours to think about one Sirius Orion Black.

In the back of her mind, she still thought about what she might have had with Sirius if she fought for him. For all she knew, Susan and Harry would have grown up as siblings, not including any other children they would have had together. She was brought out of her thoughts by someone knocking on her door.

After removing the wards around the room, Amelia opened the door and returned to her thoughts. "There is only one person who would cause you to have those worry lines." Kingsley Shacklebolt said. Out of all of the Aurors in the department, Kingsley had been the one Auror who knew Amelia best.

"There are two of them actually Kingsley; Susan and Sirius Black." Amelia said.

"Sirius? What in the hell Amelia?"

"Sirius and I…we dated while at Hogwarts and while he was going through Auror Training." Amelia revealed.

"I know."

"Remember the raid where I was critically injured in late 1979? The one where I took the cutting curse across my chest and abdomen?"

"Yes. You ordered me not to tell Sirius. I remember Edgar and his wife staying by your bedside for days. It was then that we learned that Emily was pregnant with Susan…Oh god Amelia, please don't tell me what I think you're telling me!"

"That Susan is my daughter and that her father is Sirius Black. Yes I am. When I was injured, I was rushed to surgery; Emily performed the surgery to save me and she transferred the fetus I carried into herself. It is an ancient ritual that is considered extremely dark, but it needed to be done to save Susan. When I came to, Emily told me what happened. We knew that if the truth came out, Emily would be thrown in to Azkaban and I would be relieved of duty and the Ancient House of Bones would be exiled." Amelia said.

"Does Susan know?" Kingsley asked.

"No. After Edgar and Emily were killed and I took custody of Susan, I went to Gringotts and asked that Susan undertake the Inheritance Ritual and Blood Adoption Ceremony. It showed me as her Aunt, though the Goblins at Gringotts knew differently."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. But I do know that the moment Sirius sees Susan, he'll know. Don't ask me why or how, but he'll know who Susan is." Amelia sighed. "I have no idea Kingsley, but I have more important matters to deal with right now."

"Not more important, just more pressing." Kingsley said.

"Point conceded." Amelia said, then getting back to business. "Kingsley, here are the files on those Death Eaters who have escaped justice. I want them brought in. Contact Moody and put a team together. It needs to be people you trust implicitly Kingsley, there are a lot of people on that list that have powerful friends."

Kingsley looked over the files for a few minutes running lists of people he thought he trusted for this mission. There were fewer and fewer by the minute.

"Amelia, I'm going to need some outside help."

Amelia sighed. "You mean members of the Order of the Phoenix?"

"And some Unspeakables; Amelia over half of the upper Aurors are on this list. I need to get some help." Kingsley said.

"Go see Crocker in the Department of Mysteries in person then. Then contact your friends in the Order." Kingsley got up to leave when Amelia stopped him. "And King, we are pressed for time."

Kingsley nodded and exited quickly, leaving a very overwhelmed Amelia in her office.


	12. Chapter 11: The Unspeakables

Chapter 11: The Unspeakables

It took Kingsley almost eighteen hours to get everyone in the files arrested. Kingsley recruited a number of people from outside the Auror Corps including Alastor Moody, two squadrons of Unspeakables, and a number of members of MI-6 on loan from the Mundane Government.

Kingsley knew more about the Mundane Government than anyone else in the Ministry because of his time in the Mundane Military and MI-6. As a half blood, his maternal grandfather asked him when he was younger that he serves his country in the military like many members of the family since the Battle of Trafalgar. Kingsley did as he was asked and served six years in the Royal Marines before being picked up by MI-6 for another two years before joining the Auror Corps at the request of Amelia Bones.

Kingsley led a very select group of Aurors know as MA-1. They were charged with interfacing with the Mundane Government on different issues concerning law enforcement and military matters. So far, Kingsley's team had made huge enrodes with stopping a number of illegal potions and artifacts from entering the country. To say nothing about prostitution and slave trades. It were these contacts that Kingsley had made over the years that allowed him to cash in markers, no questions asked.

In the end, out of the 135 names listed, 133 were arrested and two were killed while trying to flee with limited injuries to the capture teams. This pleased Kingsley to no end as he did not like seeing his people injured, or the paperwork that followed. Follow up teams of Unspeakables had searched various locations that were in the files Kingsley had for Dark Artifacts and hit the mother-load numerous times.

With so many Aurors that could not be trusted, Kingsley had little choice but to let the Unspeakables handle most of the investigations, even though his boss, Head Auror Rufus Scrimgeour, ordered him to use DMLE Staff. Kingsley allowed Amelia to handle Rufus after that and did what he felt was best for the investigation, which meant having a meeting with the Head of the Department of Mysteries.

Kingsley made his way down one of the only stairwells that led down to the Department of Mysteries. One of the facts unknown to most people was that the entrance to the Department of Mysteries that was accessible from the lifts was the long way in. When Kingsley asked for the meeting, he was told to come this way as it was more secure and more direct. When he arrived at a simple wooden door, he was met with two Unspeakables. After identifying himself, he was escorted into the Department of Mysteries and into the Director's Office. Once inside, Kingsley saw a man wearing black robes with gold runes behind the desk. His hood was up, obscuring his face, giving him an air of mystery. It was a standard tactic of the Unspeakables.

"Lieutenant Colonel Kingsley Shacklebolt of Her Royal Majesties Marines, my name is Croaker. I am the Director of Department of Mysteries. I am also a General in Her Royal Majesties Marines." The figure said.

Kingsley saluted and then spoke. "I've been retired for a few years sir."

"I know all about you Colonel. I am the man who approved your field promotion to Captain after a year in the Royal Marines."

"Why?"

"Because I saw potential in you Colonel; when you joined MI-6 I spoke to M and we agreed to keep an eye on you."

"Once again, why?"

"Because you are one of the only magicals to have served in the Mundane Military by choice; because you are a true leader, because of a hundred reasons, but mostly because you earned it with the Special Ops Missions you went on. Colonel Anderson was the one who recommended you. Take your pick of reasons, but you earned your Major's Crown and your current rank all on your own." Croaker finished.

"We'll deal with this later. There are more pressing matters." Kingsley said.

"Agreed. Per your request we have sent out teams of Unspeakables to check out and clean up the locations you provided us. Here is our preliminary report." Croaker said as he passed a rather thick report over to Kingsley.

"Can you give me the highlights?" Kingsley asked.

"Of course I can. The question is, will I?" Croaker asked with a laugh. "We have collected more Dark Artifacts in the last eighteen hours than we have collected in the last ten years; to say nothing about the books and items needed in rituals."

"That is good news. I look forward to reading the report." Kingsley said. "Director Bones asked that I speak to you about another matter."

"Amelia wants the Unspeakables to handle Auror matters until you and Rufus can get more Aurors trained." Croaker answered.

"How did you know?" Kingsley asked, startled.

"Colonel, what I am about to tell you is classified Ultra Top Secret. In order to learn this information, you'll have to join the ranks of the Unspeakables." Croaker said.

"Why General?"

"Because as an Unspeakable, the vows you take will protect you from giving up the secrets you'll and those of the Order of the Phoenix and the secret of your wife and daughter." Croaker said.

"What would my job be as an Unspeakable?"

"You would be what is called a Shadow Unspeakable. Your true identity will be unknown to everyone but the Director of the Department of Mysteries and Zeus, Head of the Unspeakables. Your mission would be to report anything out of the ordinary from the DMLE. As an Unspeakable, you would have unlimited access to all assets of the Unspeakables and the Department of Mysteries any time you need it. Also, you will follow in the steps of Master Unspeakable Thor, also known as Alastor Moody."

"Moody was an Unspeakable?"

"Alastor is a Master Unspeakable, retired of course." Croaker said.

"Ok General. I'll do it." Kingsley said after a few minutes of silent thought.

"Very well. Kneel." Kingsley did as he was told as Croaker moved around the desk to stand before the kneeling man. "Kingsley Shacklebolt, do you hereby accept an appointment as an Unspeakable?"

"I do." A swirl of golden light surrounded Kingsley.

"Do you swear on your life and magic to uphold the values and traditions of the Unspeakable Corps?"

"I do." A swirl of silver light surrounded Kingsley this time.

"Do you swear to uphold the last Orders of Merlin Ambrosius, as a member of the Army of Merlin?"

"I do." A swirl of white light surrounded Kingsley now.

"By the power given by Merlin the Great, I now dub thee Unspeakable Hades." Croaker summoned a sword from nowhere and knighted Kingsley. "Arise Hades and receive the mantle of our Order." Kingsley rose and took the cloak that Croaker handed him and put it on. As soon he had put it on, he understood that the cloak was now a part of him and would come when needed.

"Unspeakable Hades, it is now time to see what lies at the bottom of the rabbit hole. Come." Croaker said and with a wave of his hand, the back wall of his office morphed into a door which Croaker opened and led Kingsley through. As they walked through the hallways to their destination Croaker began to explain about the Unspeakables.

"Hades, the first thing you must understand is that the Department of Mysteries is independent of the Ministry of Magic. We answer to the International Confederation of Wizards and the Sovereign Ruler of England; right now that is Queen Elizabeth. The Ministry of Magic thinks they have some control over us, but that is not the case. The idiot who is the Minister has even less clue. The Department of Mysteries contains three individual units. The first are the researchers. Their job is to research the Mysteries of Magic. The second are the spell-crafters. They take the information the researchers have found and make the magic easier to use. These groups report to the Director of the Department of Mysteries, which is me. The Unspeakables, and there are more than you think, are charged with investigating the most powerful of all magics and return them to the department for study. They are also some of the best trained at combat magic, both light and dark. They are the best at what they do. They report directly to the Leader of the Unspeakables who reports to the queen and ICW.

"The Leader of the Unspeakables is Master Unspeakable Zeus. Zeus also serves as a member of the Command Staff of the Army of Merlin. Are you familiar with the legend?" Croaker asked.

"The legend states that Merlin the Great created an Army at the time of Arthur Pendragon and the Knights of the Roundtable. There were members of the Roundtable in Merlin's Army. Merlin charged this army to protect & defend magic." Kingsley said.

"Very good Hades, you know your history. Today, the Army of Merlin is charged with protecting the Magical World from itself and from outside influences. The Army of Merlin has members all over the world and from every military and country there is. Members include squibs, magicals, mundanes, vampires, werewolves, veela, and many more. The Army of Merlin has not been called up to active duty in twelve centuries."

"Why not?"

"Because light and dark have remained in balance" Croaker simply said as they passed through another door and into another office. "Master Unspeakable Zeus, may I present Unspeakable Hades."

Zeus turned around and removed his hood, showing an unassuming looking older gentleman. "Kingsley Shacklebolt, my name is Jonathan Frasier. Please sit."

Kingsley did as he was asked and sat down, then removed his hood. "It is good to meet you, sir."

"None of that sir crap. When we are alone it is Jon, alright?"

"Alright Jon."

"Now, as to Director Bones' request about Unspeakables, we can't." Jon said.

"Actually you can. Director Bones has authorized me to deputize a number of Unspeakables to serve as Aurors. This way the DMLE or the DoM are breaking any laws."

Frasier thought for a moment and then began to laugh. "Brilliant. And we'll give you fake credentials and names of our Unspeakables so that they remain unknown. I love it."

"We thought you would." Kingsley said.

"There is another thing we need to discuss." Frasier said.

"What is it? Kingsley asked.

"Mistress Athena, would you please come in." Frasier said to the air, a second later another Unspeakable appeared from nowhere. The Unspeakable was covered in Unspeakable Robes, but instead of silver or even golden runes on them, this Unspeakables robes had runes in sapphire.

"Hades, this is Mistress Unspeakable Athena, she is…"

"It is a long story. Unspeakables have known about time travel for many years. We have a number of rules in place for time travel, including stopping people from messing with time." Athena stated.

"That is General Rule Five of all Ministry employees. All attempts at time travel are banned. Anyone caught attempting time travel is to be arrested and turned over to the Department of Mysteries." Kingsley stated.

"That is correct. Only high level Unspeakables may even read about different attempts at time travel. One of the protocols that were initiated was General Rule 97. Rule 97 states that in the event of a time incursion by a Master or Mistress Unspeakable, all resources of the Unspeakable Corps and the Department of Mysteries is to be used to aid the Unspeakable in question." Athena said. "I am the Mistress Unspeakable in question. I have returned to fix what went horribly wrong."

"What do you wish of me, Mistress Athena?" Hades asked.

"To continue as you have been. You and I are very old friends in my time." Athena said. "Zeus, I must depart. I will be missed at home."

Without even a nod, Athena disappeared in a cloud of mist.

"Mistress Athena is a higher level Unspeakable than anyone else I have ever known about except for Merlin and his students. She could technically take command of the Unspeakables if she wanted to because of her rank. She is a Captain General in the Army of Merlin, which means she outranks me by a few ranks." Frasier said.

"Ah." Kingsley said. Remembering the rank structure he learned in the military. If Mistress Athena was really a Captain General, then she had to have some serious clout as the Captain General of the Royal Marines of today was a ceremonial rank, usually held by a member of the Royal Family. To earn that rank in the Army of Merlin, something must have gone really wrong in the future.

"So, let's give you the full tour of the Department and then get you back to your normal life." Frasier said as he escorted Kingsley out of the room.

Mistress Unspeakable Athena appeared inside a small grove of trees on the backside of Lionfire Hall. As soon as she appeared, she removed the hood of her cloak to reveal one Hermione Jane Lupin. She was able to appear in the clearing because of the work previous members of the Potter Family had already done. The small grove of trees had been a transportation point for the Potters for many years and had many spells and runes around it to keep people accessing it. Hermione had merely activated the runes and spells specifically made for Unspeakables to travel to the Department of Mysteries and through the wards around Ministry. Lily Potter had been the first person to put these runes and spells in place years ago as she was an Unspeakable herself.

After suspending the spells Hermione reactivated when she left for the Department of Mysteries, she strode quickly across the lawn and into Lionfire Hall where Harry was waiting for her.

"What happened?" Harry asked his adopted sister as she stepped into the room. She knew Harry would still be awake, even at this late hour. He like Dumbledore, Flamel, and herself needed only a few hours a night of sleep thanks to their magic.

After returning from Avalon, Hermione had left to speak to Master Unspeakable Zeus. After proving she was indeed a Mistress Unspeakable and a Captain General in the Army of Merlin, she explained what she needed the Unspeakables to do, including aiding the DMLE and ordering the creation of dozen of Wardstones that Hermione and Harry would use as the Wardstones for the new prison they and the goblins would be building.

It seemed that the Unspeakables were already on alert for her arrival to their hallowed halls because of the large amounts of ambient magic that had been detected worldwide. It had appeared one day out of the blue, for no apparent reason. The Unspeakables told the world the increase was due to an alignment of the planets, stars and moons that had not happened in 100,000 years, which everyone believed like the sheep they are. Hermione assumed the increase in ambient magic was the residual magic that was used to send Harry and her back in time. Hermione and Zeus theorized that magic had come back in time early in order to maintain the balance that was in place of magic. As both Harry and Hermione were magically powerful, a lot of magic had to be sent back and it took time for it to dissipate and mix into the world. Whatever it was, the Unspeakable Corps was already preparing for the return of an Unspeakable through time. Once it was confirmed, Hermione's alias of Athena was entered in the Unspeakables records. Because she was a time traveler with a purpose so high, her robes had sapphire runes on them which stated her importance; though when she left the department or any Unspeakable Safe House, they would turn gold.

"Kingsley is now Unspeakable Hades; tomorrow he'll receive his promotion to Colonel in Her Majesties Marines as well as his new orders, he has no idea about either item yet." Hermione said as she hugged her brother.

"Good. Kingsley will be good in the new role Amelia has lined up for him. Did you check and see how the wards were holding up?" Harry asked. One of secrets the Department of Mysteries held was the master control Wardstone for all of the wards the effected the British Isles as a whole, including the wards the queen ordered to be raised two days ago. Some of the other wards that were around the British Isles were wards that would stop pirates from attacking ports and spells that allowed the floo network to work. In the future Ron and Hermione added more wards to the Wardstones including one to identify dark magic being used.

"The lockout wards are slowly losing power. They will be dropping in thirteen hours as of now. Since everyone on the list is already captured or dead, there is no big deal with them coming down. In fact, we could lower them now if we wanted."

"I need to talk to Snape before then, too make sure he knows he was in the Amazon looking for potions ingredients if anyone asks. After that, I need to deal with Tom and Quirrell, before the school year starts and before he gets back from the continent." Harry said.

"Why?"

"I do not want our hand tipped about his supporters being gone. You did add the taboo wards to the control stone, correct?"

Hermione huffed at her brother. "Of course Zeus and I did, that is why I was there tonight so late. Anyone who crosses the wards cannot speak about the Death Eaters or Tom or his aliases outside of the Isles. Same goes for the floo, mail, and the other dozen ways you listed!" Hermione said.

"Alight, I am sorry all high and mighty Mistress Hermione, goddess of all." Harry said sarcastically.

"And don't you forget it little brother." Hermione said smiling. "Well I'm off to bed. I need to be up in a few hours." She said as she dashed off to bed.

Harry waited for another ten minutes before he headed to bed as well.


	13. Chapter 12: Snapes and Spirits and Hogwa

Chapter 12: Snapes and Spirits and Hogwarts Oh My!

Severus Snape was hiding. Sure he could say he was brewing potions that needed constant tending. He could even say that he was preparing his lessons for the next school year. But those are both hard to do when you are nowhere near your office or your potions lab. For Severus Snape was in a small room deep within Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry that was warded to keep any magic from entering or exiting the room.

The reason why he was trapped in this room was because of a letter he had received from Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry telling him to head to the room he and Dumbledore had set up so long ago to protect him from anything designed to attack the Dark Mark, the mark of the Death Eaters.

So far almost three days had passed since the letter. Severus was not worried about running out of food and water. He had enough stockpiled for five weeks of great food and drink and another three weeks of not great food if needed. No what was worrying Severus was the lack of communication from the outside and of course boredom.

The lack of communication was worrisome because he had no idea if it was safe to leave the room yet or even if he would ever be able to leave the room. But the boredom was driving him up the wall. He had already exhausted the insanely large pile of parchment that was in the room. Severus had written his confession first, as per his agreement with Albus. He had then written his autobiography, including everything he had done as a Death Eater and as a spy for the Order of the Phoenix, to say nothing about the potions he either created or improved upon. He thought it would only be prudent if he actually died in this room to make sure his genius was shared.

With enough parchment to still make several thick books, Severus sat down and began to write a whole new potions book for all years. He and Minerva had talked about writing new books for their fields for years, Minerva's books were going through the last revisions this year for next year's release, but Severus had never started his books, until now.

And here he is, with years 1-3 complete, and he is out of parchment; even with writing extra small and using both sides of the parchment. The thing is these parchments were not notes about the new potions books they were the actual books complete with stirring instructions, text, and everything. The only thing that would be needed was the translation spells to convert his handwritten text into typed words. One of the benefits of the Occlumency Severus practiced was that it not only allowed him an eidetic memory, but he could actually enter his mind and do work there at much faster rate than in the outside world. He could also leave an avatar of himself in his mindscape to complete tasks like writing a book.

Severus was pulled out of his boredom by the heavy metal door that kept him protected was opened from the outside and a person walked in. This person was not Albus Dumbledore like he was expecting. He was wearing formal robes in the god awful Gryffindor scheme of gold and red and had his hood up. As soon as he entered the room, the door closed behind and Severus began get nervous. No one but him and Albus were supposed to know about the room. _'Maybe Albus sold me out finally.' 'No of course not. Albus Dumbledore does not do that! Voldemort does.'_

The hooded man crossed to the small desk where Severus' masterpieces lay, ignoring the human bat in the room, and looked at the various parchments. Never once did he turn a page with his hand, he did it with his magic.

"Impressive." The hooded man said after leafing through the first year potion book. His voice distorted by a concealment charm.

"Thank you." Severus said. "Who are you?" he asked, unable to stop himself.

The man laughed loudly before answering. "I am the man who gets to decide whether you live or die Severus Snape."

"What?"

"I am the young boy your orphaned when you overhead Albus Dumbledore & Sybil Trelawney speaking. I am the child of the woman you loved and her husband, your school time enemy. I am Duke Harry James Potter, Duke Gryffindor of Gryffindor, Lord Protector of the Magical Realm, High Lord of Hogwarts, Lord of the Ancient Houses of Gryffindor, Peverell, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, & Hufflepuff, Lord of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter, and Heir Apparent of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black." The hooded man removed his hood and let his magic slip from his tightly held control as he spoke, revealing an almost exact replica of Severus Snape's hated school enemy James Potter, but this replica had two things that were different from his memories of James Potter. This replica's forehead had a lightning bolt scar on it, proof of the betrayal he committed all those years ago. But the eyes, the eyes that were staring him down were those of the first person he ever loved. Lily Evans' eyes looked ready to kill him for her murder, her husband's murder, and for causing Lily's precious son to grow up with them.

This was the only thing that Albus would serve him up for. Harry Potter wanted vengeance and he was going to get it, one way or another. Not that Severus thought Harry didn't deserve vengeance.

"Harry—"

"You may call me _Duke Gryffindor_ or _Mi Lord_ you do not have permission to call me anything else." Harry said coldly.

Severus, knowing he needed to be humble to play up to the Potter Ego bowed lowly to the child. "Duke Gryffindor, I have wronged—" Severus got out before he was forcible thrown against the wall and pinned there with magic. It took a few seconds for the cobwebs to clear before Severus understood he was in deep trouble.

"Let us get something straight _Severus,_ I _hate _you. I hate you more than anyone or anything in my entire life. You not only cost me my parents, but you would belittle me because I look like someone who I don't even remember!"

"What do you want me to do? Beg?"

"No Severus." Harry said as he lowered the man to the ground. "I lost the want to kill you long ago. However, you still owe me your life."

"What do you want me to do?"

"First, teacher potions properly; not the way you think you teach them now. If you cannot do this, then you will be replaced. Second, you will treat all students fairly. The children of your former Death Eater friends will not be a problem. Madam Bones has arrested all of them and they are being sentenced as we speak."

"How?"

"Do not worry about that. As far as anyone knows, you have been in the Amazon collecting potions ingredients. As part of this deal, you are to publish your potions books. They are impressive and could hopefully teach a whole new generation about potions."

"Duke of Gryffindor, I am not a teacher. Dumbledore hired me after the war, but I care not to teach. Have apprentices yes, but teaching those dunderheads, no." Severus admitted.

"I thought so. So here is my final offer. You will create your new potions textbooks, you will teach seventh years potions as well as have no more than four apprentices, and you will not remain the head of Slytherin House. You will comply with the code of conduct for all teachers. You may also research any potions to your heart's content with Hogwarts picking up the tab for your expenses. Anything that is marketable besides your textbooks will be split between yourself and Hogwarts after expenses in a 90–10 split; ninety percent of the profits to you, ten percent to Hogwarts. And of course we would require you to help with the fight against Tom Riddle, better known as Lord Voldemort. Oh and every once in a while I may need you to cover a class for a teacher. Now this is a lot to take in, so I will give you…ten seconds to accept this offer."

"What about my autobiography?"

"Phoenix Publishing, which will also publish yours and McGonagall's textbooks will publish it as well as those of the other professors of Hogwarts and Champions of the Voldemort Wars." Harry said.

"The Voldemort Wars?" Severus asked.

"It's better than '_The Blood Wars'_ isn't it?"

"Yes it is." Severus said. "Mi Lord, if I may ask, who did you live with growing up?"

"With my Aunt Petunia and her husband Vernon until I ran away from home at six and was found by Lord Flamel." Harry said indifferently, keeping the cover story intact.

"Who in the hell put you with Tuney?" Severus asked.

"Tuney?" Harry asked. Only hearing Tuney in the memories Snape left him when the man was dying.

"You may know that I lived in the same area as your mother growing up. In fact we went to the same primary school. I was the first person who told her she was a witch. Tuney hated her and I for that. We remained friends until I did something incredibly stupid."

"You called her a Mudblood."

"You've been speaking to Remus Lupin." 

"What, no insult for the werewolf?" Harry demanded.

"No Mi Lord. I understand that if I insult him or Sirius Black around you, I will be punished."

"Not just them Severus, anyone; your time as a bully is over with. Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, man, woman, boy, girl, pureblood, halfblood, muggleborn makes no different. Understood?"

"Yes Mi Lord."

"Good. Now, as far as the rest of the world is concerned, you were hunting down potions ingredients deep in the Amazon. Here are all the forms from your travel including mundane airline tickets and a piece of the plant you were looking for. You will officially return to England tomorrow afternoon. For the night, you need to remain in the castle. Any questions?" Harry asked.

"No Mi Lord." Severus said.

"Good." Harry turned to leave, but stopped. "And Severus, if you try to lie to me or try to sell us out, I'll make sure it takes five weeks for you to die. Do you understand?"

"Completely." With a final nod Harry left.

Severus rose from the floor and began to gather his belongings when he heard Harry's voice. "And Severus, finish the damn books. I want them sent to the printers in two weeks."

"Damn." Severus muttered.

Having left the panic room where Severus Snape had been hiding, Harry made his way to the castle itself in search of a few special individuals. The first was Professor Binns, the History of Magic Teacher who had died and never seemed to notice this fact as he continued to teach.

Binns was in his office, droning on about goblin rebellions to the walls when Harry entered with his aura flared.

"Professor Cuthbert Binns." Harry said.

Binns stopped speaking and saw Harry standing there in all his glory. "Harold, is that you? I haven't you seen you in ages? Are you here to speak about your son James?"

Harry sighed as he removed his sword and pointed it at the ghost. "Cuthbert Binns, as the Duke of Gryffindor and High Lord of Hogwarts, it is my duty to inform you that your time with us has come to an end."

"Is it really? I thought I had another ten years until I could retire Harold?" Cuthbert asked.

Harry, realizing the ghost thought he was at least fifteen years in the past, Harry decided to play the role of his grandfather. "No Cuthbert. It is time to retire that is why I am here. Cuthbert Binns, I, the High Lord of Hogwarts, hereby release you from your service to Hogwarts and wish you well on your next journey."

As Harry spoke, a bronze aura surrounded him and Binns, when it faded, Binns began to fade away from the Mortal Plane. In mere seconds Cuthbert Binns was gone. "One down, two to go." Harry said as he made way to see Moaning Myrtle.

Myrtle was hiding in her "S" Bend in the bathroom where she had been killed when Harry entered. Not wanting to deal with her moaning, Harry had his sword in hand and was already channeling power into it as he entered.

"Myrtle! Come out here! I need to speak to you!" Harry demanded.

"And who are you? Come to make fun of Moaning Myrtle? You know you can't kill me with that sword as I am already dead!" Myrtle screamed.

"It is time for you to move on Myrtle. You can either go the hard way or the easy way. But as I am the High Lord of Hogwarts and a powerful wizard too boot, you are leaving." Harry said as he lowered his hood revealing his face to the ghost.

"You're Duke Gryffindor!" Myrtle cried.

"Yes I am. I also know who killed you. Tom Marvolo Riddle killed you Myrtle; he became Lord Voldemort."

"You killed him! I don't have to stay here anymore!" Myrtle cried.

"That's right. Go on Myrtle, go be at peace."

"Okay." Myrtle said as she, like Binns faded into nothingness in front of Harry. Harry sighed and then called out to the last spirit he had to deal with today.

"PEEVES!"

"Lord Hogwarts be calling for Peeves, but Peeves bes not coming." The poltergeist said as he floated into the room.

"Yes you will Peeves. And you will do as I command or I will exorcise you from my castle. Do you understand me?"

At the word _exorcise_ Peeves stopped floating and dropped to his knees in front of Harry and pleaded. "Please don't hurt Peevese. Peevese be good. Peeves promise!"

Harry smiled, knowing the magic word had worked. "Alright Peeves, here are the rules. One, you are not allowed into Professor Snape's office, potions lab, or work areas. You also may not leave anything for him or anyone else outside of them."

Peeves deflated a little knowing his favorite target was off limits. "Two, you are not allowed into any professors offices at any time. You may not enter a used classroom. Three, you will leave the First Years alone for two weeks then prank them until you are blue in the face."

This made Peeves very happy. First Years were so much fun to tease. "Fourth, you will be helpful if a professor needs you in class. Like Defense Against the Dark Arts and History of Magic. Fifth, you are expected to report anything strange in the castle to the Bloody Baron, the Headmaster, or myself immediately. Sixth, you and I will pull off four major pranks on the whole school this year. Seventh, you are to be helpful in protecting this castle and the children within it. Any questions?"

"Why does Lord Hogwarts do this for Peeves?" Peeves asked.

"Because you are a person and should be treated that way. The problem is you need rules to follow." Harry replied honestly.

Peeves thought for a moment, floating upside down and allowed smoke to come out of his ears before asking his next question. "What about Filchie? Can Peevese still play with Filche?"

Harry smiled. "Filch yes, Mrs. Norris definitely, Hagrid no. Madam Pomfrey hell no, Madam Pince no. Headmaster Dumbledore or any other professor in the hallways, yes only on Wednesdays and Saturdays."

Peeves smiled. "Peeves be accepting Lord Hogwarts sir's deal."

"Good. Filch is in his office, you may go and tell him the good news." Harry said. Peeves smiled and disappeared through the wall.

"Well, now I need to see Quirinus Quirrell and Tom Riddle next." Harry murmured. He then looked at his watch "Four hours until the travel wards drop. More than enough time to get some dinner."

Interview Room 6

Offices of the Ministry of Magic of Great Britain

British Consulate

Marseille, France

Quirinus Quirrell was nervously waiting inside the same interview room had been in for three days now. He and his master knew something was wrong. Though he was not in chains, he was restricted to this room, the loo, and a small commissary where he ate what passed as food. For three days no one had answered any of his questions, whether they were asked by voicing the question or by trying to find the information out from the use of legilimency. What Quirrell and his master did find out was that there many mudbloods and blood traitors working here and in Paris for the British Government and that of France.

The door to the room finally opened and a proper wizard entered wearing semi-formal wizarding robes. _Obviously a Pureblood._ Quirrell thought as the man removed his wand and conjured a couple of comfortable chairs for of them.

"Professor Quirrell, please accept my apologies for you having to remain here in the _filth_ the last three days." The man said.

"What filth?"

"The Mudbloods and Blood Traitors of course" The man said with a smile. "Your reputation as one of the only true purebloods at Hogwarts precedes you."

Quirrell and his master relaxed, knowing this man would not harm them smiled and engaged the man in conversation. "I thought I smelt something funny here."

"You did sir. Where are my manners, my name is Gregory Smith, I am the Undersecretary to the British Ambassador to France. I oversee the interests of the Ministry of Magic here."

"Very good Mr. Smith, but I have a question for you…Why did my portkey deliver me here instead of the portkey arrival area in the Ministry in London?"

"Researchers from the Department of Mysteries discovered an ancient master Wardstone hidden within their vaults. They were analyzing it when the stone started pulling magic to it, activating wards that have so far kept everything from portkeys, apparition, floo, portals, and all forms of muggle transport from working at all. All magical means of travel were directed here as this is the oldest magical consulate to France." Gregory explained.

"Ah of course. But why not tell me?"

"I was under orders from Minister Fudge." Gregory said.

"That fool." Quirrell replied under his breath.

"Well, the Unspeakables fixed the issues and we can now send you home." Gregory said.

Quirrell nodded and rose from his chair. "Excellent. I have much work to."

Gregory removed an old boot and handed to Quirrell. "It will go off in ten seconds. Good luck Professor."

Quirrell and nodded before the portkey activated. As soon as it was gone, Gregory pulled out his phone and dialed a number "Bond here. Tell them that Quirrell is on his way." With that he hung up the phone and willed the enchantments that disguised him to fall away revealing British Special Agent James Bond. Checking himself in the mirror, James laughed and disappeared through the door and onto his next assignment; after getting all the dark thoughts that had been placed in his head in order to make this mission a success.

Quirrell did not appear in the Ministry of Magic, or even in Hogsmeade, he appeared in a large abandoned warehouse somewhere in France. As soon he arrived, runes around the room activated, trapping him and the spirit of his master that he had been carrying within his body from escaping.

'_What is this magic?!' _The spirit of Voldemort demanded from the back of Quirrell's head.

"They are very old runes designed to trap a piece of a soul contained within an area." A voice said the darkness.

"And you think you can contain me, Lord Voldemort, the greatest dark wizard to walk the earth?!"

"Actually yes I can." The voice said.

"Why?"

"Because I am the rune master who created these runes; watch." The voice said as a series of runes seemed to appear out of the darkness and begin to circle around Quirrell each loop they made they got closer.

"Master, what shall we do?" Quirrell asked his master.

"I need more magic. Give yourself to your master." Voldemort commanded his servant.

"But I will die!" Quirrell cried as a rune touched his arm, causing him immense pain.

"But your master will survive! Give it me!" Voldemort commanded, fear beginning to seep into his voice.

Quirrell stood proud and spoke the words that would not only condemn him to hell, but would unknowingly trap his master in a prison of ancient magic. "I give my magic, my life, my body, and my soul to you my master so that you can live."

With the intent of the spell, Quirinus Quirrell gave his very life force to his master, causing Voldemort to take control of the body and the magic contained within it.

"You are so predictable Tom." The unidentified voice said with a laugh.

By now, the Runes that were now burning his body as they passed through him and around him; with an unholy cry of rage Quirrell/Voldemort raised his wand and pushed out pure magic into the nearest rune. What Tom Riddle did not know was that all the runes were linked together and that when he pushed his magic into the one, he charged all of them causing the set in the floor to activate as well as the ones in the pieces of marble suspended by cables high above his head.

These last runes caused the pieces of marble they were itched into to fall or raise from their resting places and surround Quirrell/Voldemort, sealing him a marble tomb. This tomb was designed to contain Voldemort's spirit using the magic that Quirrell had freely given him when he pledged himself to his Master.

As the screams from within the tomb began to fade away, thanks to wards created by the physical linking of the Runes to each other when the tomb was sealed, four figures walked out of the dark corners of the warehouse.

"It worked." Nicholas Flamel said in shock.

"Of course it worked." Hermione Lupin said. "Harry and I did use this once before."

Nicholas looked at his and his wife's apprentice with a fixture of awe and pride.

"I hate to interrupt you two, but we still to cast the last spell." Harry said.

"You can't destroy him now?" Perenelle asked.

"Not until his horcruxes are all destroyed. The best thing we can do now is contain him like we have. When his horcruxes are destroyed, we'll send his ass through the Veil of Death." Harry said.

"Very well. Hermione, do you have the artifacts you need for this?" Perenelle asked.

"Yes. The Department of Mysteries has safe guarded these stones since Merlin was trapped. Once we activate the stones, we will trap Tom in a pocket dimension where he cannot escape."

"I thought Merlin was trapped in an ice cave?" Nicholas asked.

"That is what it will look like to us. The stones will create a gateway to another dimension where nothing ages." Harry said.

The foursome quickly placed the stones in place around the marble tomb before Hermione prepared herself to cast the spell that would activate the stones. As it took an enormous amount of magic to do this spell, Harry, Nicholas, and Perenelle volunteered to serve as magical reserves that Hermione could tap into when needed. As Perenelle was Hermione's Apprentice Mistress, the bond they shared was very strong and could handle the amount of magic that would be channeled through it. Harry as Hermione's god-brother also shared a strong bond with Hermione. Harry also had the benefit of drawing on the magic of Hogwarts should they need it. Nicholas was not only Harry's one time Apprentice Master, but was Perenelle's soul mate, so his magic was already tied into this endeavor.

Hermione started to chant the spell that according to history had cost over one hundred people their lives, drawing magic from wherever she could. One of the places that she drew it from was a bond that had not completely reformed in this time and she did not know existed. It was her bond with Ron. This posed a small complication as Hermione was not pulling magic from the Ronald Bilius Weasley of this time period, but the magic from the ethereal version of Ronald that was watching what was happening from his place in heaven.

"I don't feel too good." Ron said.

Lily Potter ran to Ron's side and began to check him over. "This is not good. Hermione's is drawing magic through their bond and it is draining Ron."

"Damn Potters, Weasleys, Lupins, and Blacks. None of you do things the easy way." Gabriel muttered as he entered the room where the others were watching the scene on earth. "Someone get Ginevra. We are sending them back now!"

"But you said it was too soon." James Potter said as he and Ginny ran into the room.

"It is, but if we don't stop this now, then Hermione might just rip the universe apart." Gabriel said.

"Why?" Arthur Pendragon asked.

Gabriel took a calming breath and spoke in a slow manner, like one did to a child. "Hermione's bond with Ron is a soul bond. Her Ron is here on this plane of existence, but is also slowing moving into the lower plane. As she pulls more and more magic from Ron, it will cause Ron's own magic within him to pull energy from wherever it can on both planes."

"Are you telling me that Ron can call upon the Power of Creation itself?" James asked.

"Yes. As well as anything else he can. On the mortal plane that includes a lot of things including all life. Here, we call it the Power. Actually everyone one of us can call upon these powers if we ever needed." Gabriel said.

"But why is Ron doing it?"

"Have you ever known not to Ron to do anything Hermione needed of him?" Ginny asked the group.

"Why is it taking so much magic to do this?" Lily asked.

"Voldemort is drawing upon all the magic he could access with his new body including the magic contained with his horcruxes and other dark artifacts. While Tom Riddle is contained, the dark magics that he was pulling on are still trying to get to their master." Gabriel said.

"So Hermione is truly fighting against evil" Lancelot stated.

"Yes." Gabriel said. "Ginny, Ron, I need you both to listen to me very carefully. We will use all of our strength to seal the breach that this spell is causing between the planes. But before we do, you both need to enter the breach and _'surf it' _back to your mortal selves in this time period. As soon you merge with your younger selves, the magic of the soul bond will transport you to your soul mates. The stress of this may cause you to lose consciousness and quite a bit of pain." Gabriel explained.

Ron and Ginny looked at each other and then nodded. "We understand." They said together.

"Very well" Gabriel, Lily, James, Arthur Pendragon, Lancelot, and many other people on the ereathral plane joined together and caused a portal to appear. This was the link to the mortal realm that Ron and Ginny had to cross in order to be with their loved ones again. Ginny helped Ron up who was growing even weaker because of the strain Hermione was causing him and together they stepped into the portal. As soon as they were inside, Gabriel and the others pushed all their energy into the portal, forcing it into Hermione and finally into the spell that would seal the marble tomb in the ice dimension, which Hermione finally accomplished at the same moment at Lionfire Hall two children fell to the ground unconscious.

Arthur and Molly ran to their too youngest children who had been playing chess when they were surrounded with a pure white light. It was so bright that both adults had to look away from them until their eyes adjusted. When their eyes adjusted, both parents were shocked to see older versions of their children standing above their children.

"Hello Mum, Dad." Older Ron said. "It's been a while."

"What are you doing?" Molly asked.

"We've come back to be with our soul mates. Hermione is my soul mate." Older Ron said.

"And Harry is mine." Older Ginny said.

"What will happen to our children?" Arthur asked.

"We are one in the same dad." Ron told his father.

"Once we merge with our younger selves, we'll be transported to Hermione and Harry. Can you please cast a locator charm on both of us before we leave? Once we're gone contact Albus and Sirius and have them come and get us." Ginny said.

"Ok sweetheart." Arthur said.

Ron and Ginny then knelt next to their younger selves and placed their right hands on their chests. As soon as they touched, the older siblings seemed to dissolve and fall into their younger selves. As soon as this happened, the white aura faded away. Seeing this, Arthur ran to his children and fell to his knees and placed the charms they asked him to place while Molly cast some diagnostic charms on the two of them.

"They're unconscious." Molly muttered. Before she could do anything else both children disappeared with loud pops.

"I got the charms placed." Arthur muttered looking where his children had just been.

"Oh Arthur, if what they say is true we now have nine children with one grandchild." Molly said as fell into her husband's arms.

"Oh My…" Arthur said, contemplating this fact.


	14. Chapter 13: A New Reality

Chapter 13: A New Reality

Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Nicholas and Perenelle slept for three days after they were found. None of the couples could be separated, through everyone tried. Finally it was Molly who ordered they be left alone in their suites in the manor; though she did check on all of them often. According to every spell Poppy Pomfrey knew, the six of them were healthy; magically exhausted of course, but otherwise in perfect health. Except for Harry's eyesight but magic could only do so much.

It was early on the fourth day when Ron opened his eyes. After clearing the sleep out of them, he looked around, trying to get his bearings. _'Where in the hell is all the orange?'_ He thought.

'_In your room at The Burrow. Not here at Lionfire Hall and never again in any of our bedrooms.'_ He heard in his mind.

'_Who is talking to me in my mind?'_ Ron thought.

"Maybe your wife?" Hermione answered from the next to him.

"Yeah that works. Go back to sleep baby. The kids should sleep for a few more hours." Ron mumbled and wrapped his arms around Hermione again and began to drift off to sleep. Hermione too began to drift off until her mind caught up with her.

'_RON'S HERE!'_

"Ronnie!" Hermione screamed, causing Ron to wake up instantly and start reaching for his wand, which was missing.

"WHAT HERMIONE!" Ron bellowed.

"You're alive!" Hermione said, disbelief written on her face.

Ron calmed down and looked at his wife, realizing that she did not know about his and Ginny's returns.

"Yes I am love. When you and Harry made the jump, our soul bonds jumped with you. I am the same Ron you married, my sweet-sweet bookworm." Ron said.

Hermione jumped into Ron's arms and began to cry in relief. Her Ron was back, her brother and her were here, her father was ok, life was good.

The commotion they created caused everyone in Lionfire Hall to awaken and head into their room to see what the problem. Ron spotted his parents first. Picking Hermione up with a strength he did not have, he walked them over to his parents. "Mum, Dad, I would like you to meet my wife and soul mate Hermione Jane Lupin Weasley."

"Are you really from the future like Hermione?" Molly asked as she stared into the eyes of an old man caught within the body of a child.

"Yes and no. We'll explain it all later. First I need to find Remus and then I need to check on Harry and Ginny."

"We're fine Ron." Harry said as he entered the room with Ginny's hand in his. The two longtime friends looked at each other and then hugged tightly while still holding their wives. "God I missed you." Harry said, he voice full of emotion.

"Me too Brother, me too." Ron said as their wives hugged each other. Soon it was a four way hug that included the entire family.

After getting checked out by Poppy and Albus once more, the foursome explained that the soul bond required them to be in constant contact for seven days as their damaged bonds healed. This was later confirmed by a now awake Nicholas and Perenelle who too were holding hands.

Albus informed Harry that the Marble Tomb had indeed been sealed in the Ice Dimension and that it was now in a concrete reinforced bunker Harry had requested be built. Bill and Charlie spent two days laying the wards and traps around it to make sure no one got to it.

With that out of the way, and a promise for them to be careful, Harry and Ginny decided to head for Hogwarts to answer questions the Headmaster had about the new courses they would be implementing this year. Albus was extremely excited about the new classes and other changes Harry was making at Hogwarts. Many of these classes had been cut by the Board of Governors years ago and were some of the most important classes that could be offered to students in order to make careers outside of teaching or being useless at the ministry.

"So not only we will have Ritual Magic, a class on Blood Magic, and Alchemy?" Minerva asked Harry and Ginny as they sat around a table in Albus' offices going over the synopsis of the new classes.

"Yes. The Alchemy is thanks to Nicholas who has decided to remain around Hogwarts for a while. Perenelle still has much to teach Hermione and together they have a few projects they want to work on together. By teaching here, Nicholas can stay out of trouble and still make his weekly tee time at Saint Andrews." Harry said.

"Nicholas Flamel plays golf?" Minerva asks.

"Yes he does. He is a scratch player, without the use of magic." Albus said.

"I think Severus will have a coronary when he learns that Nicholas Flamel will be working in a lab a few doors down from him." Harry said with a huge smile.

"Nicholas is actually Severus' inspiration to become a potion maker." Minerva said.

"Really?" Harry asked.

"Oh yes. He has admired Nicholas for many years." Minerva answered.

"We need to move on people, or we will not finish our business here today before school starts. Ginny said.

"Of course dear" Harry said, getting back to business. "Blood Magic will need a full-time professor, but we already have a few goblins and others who will be teaching huge chunks of the Blood Magic course."

"What about a coordinator type position instead of normal teacher?" Albus asked.

"It could work, why?"

"There are very few people who are _'Qualified Teachers'_ Harry. That means they have their mastery in their field and have taken the additional courses to get their license. I know of many people who can run circles around qualified teachers and barely have a Hogwarts education. By hiring a Coordinator, we bypass many of the requirements already set down." Albus said.

"Sounds good. We'll also help them get their teaching license, anyone who needs it who is on staff." Harry said.

"Ritual Magic still needs a teacher too." Ginny said, looking up from her parchment. It was the beginning of the Master Schedule for the classes. One of the things she had created during her time at Hogwarts. "And we also have classes on Finance, Estate Management, for those who are inheriting estates, the Mundane Maths and Sciences, and the revamped History of Magic Series of classes."

"Plus the new defense classes Ginny." Harry reminded her. "Sirius is going to be the coordinator for the classes. I don't care if already has the license, I do not want him being a teacher?"

"Why?" Albus asked puzzled.

"Sirius was a good Auror before Azkaban, but it will take years before he is back to that level; that does not include the many trips to St. Mungo's, and who knows what else. As it is he'll be dead tired most days just being the coordinator." Harry admitted.

"Azkaban did a real number on him." Albus stated.

"Yes it did. The abuse was terrible but I think what was worse was knowing that he was left to rot in there. I know you tried to get him a trial, Albus, but everyone else assumed he was guilty because he was a _'Black'_." Harry said.

"I assumed he was guilty too Harry, but no one, no matter what they have done should be denied a trial. Also, I wanted to face the man who betrayed my godson. I wanted him to see that his and his master's plans would fail because we are stronger together." Albus admitted. "Think about what having Sirius under Veritiserum for just five minutes could have told us."

"I understand." Harry said, and he did. Better than most people.

"So I will not have the pleasure of teaching another Potter?" Minerva asked, changing the subject.

"Not exactly. Ginny and I will need to have private tutoring as we own Hogwarts and cannot attend regular classes." Harry stated.

"And you want Hagrid as Co-Care of Magical Creatures Teacher with Kettleburn and Charlie Weasley?" Minerva asked again.

"Yes. Kettleburn needs to retire as he is missing too many body parts. Let him mentor Hagrid and Charlie for a year, that way they can both teacher properly. With Charlie being here, we can even get dragons from the preserves for classes and for defense." Ginny stated.

"A wise move Duke and Duchess Gryffindor." Albus said.

"Please not when we're in private Albus." Harry begged.

Albus smiled and nodded at the young Duke and Duchess sitting on the other side of the conference table where the new Magical Education System of Great Britain was being put into place. It was truly a new reality.

"Were you able to make contact with Elphias?" Minerva asked Albus, who was day dreaming again.

"Yes I was, he seemed most excited about becoming the Minister for Education for the Queen's Ministry for Magic. He already has locations and teachers for the primary schools in the London area besides Diagon Alley." Albus said.

The Depart of Education in the current ministry was old and outdated and was being replaced at the request of everyone, from the Headmaster to Harry, to the Minister and the Queen. Using the model that Ginny Potter and Daphne Greengrass designed in 2044, the new department would be more like a school district model in the United States. In this model, Primary Schools would be built and they would educate their children and then funnel them into secondary schools where students would learn more advanced magics. The secondary school students would have the opportunity to enter the workforce, enter an apprenticeship, or head to a university after their finished their years of study.

With only having one school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, and it catered to older children, Great Britain was woefully behind other countries in terms of education. The job of modernizing the Department of Education fell to Elphias Doge, an old friend and contemporary of Albus Dumbledore's, whose exploits include twenty years in America learning about the education system there.

Generally in England parents homeschooled their children regarding Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, History, and Customs. Some parents sent their children to muggle primary school, but not many. In this new model, all students between the ages of 5 and 10 would be required to attend school at one of the primary schools throughout England. They would learn how to read, how to write, mundane and magical math, some science, history, customs, but also how to control their magic, and the foundations needed for further study. The other goal of the schools was to get students used to being away from their parents and to better harness their magic.

As Muggleborns are discovered, they would be sent to these schools as well so that they and their parents could ease into learning about their new world. Unlike Hogwarts, the Primary Schools would be free of charge to students. This way parents could save up money before sending their children off to Hogwarts.

While the education system of England, Ireland, and Scotland was getting debated at Hogwarts, Ron and Hermione had decided to remain at Lionfire Hall to recuperate and to spend time together. Ron also knew this would be the only chance to speak to Remus Lupin about his intentions towards his daughter. So with Gryffindor courage, he asked Remus, and Dora, to come to his and Hermione's sitting room to talk.

"Mr. Lupin sir, as you know, I love your daughter. From what I understand when I was still dead, Hermione needed more power to battle the black magics Voldemort was using to free himself. I gave her that power thru our bond. The problem was that I was a spirit and I was literally channeling the power of creation itself into your daughter."

"How did you survive?" Dora asked.

"I realized that I needed to get to Hermione, so Ginny and I literally fell from heaven and merged with our younger selves. Once I tied back here, my magic could feed from this plane and not destroy the universe. Sir, that is how much I love your daughter."

"I believe you Ronald." Remus said.

"Good. Now, I never had the chance to do this right the first time, so bare with me." Ron said.

"Do what?" Dora asked while Remus smiled, having an idea what Ron was talking about.

"Asking Hermione's father permission to marry his daughter" Ron said simply.

"Oh." Dora said.

"Ronald, you are soul mates, there is nothing I can do to stop this." Remus said.

"Still. Tradition is important in my family, and I know from your journals it was important with you too." Ron said.

"Very well Ronald. What do you offer for my daughter?" Remus said. Knowing that Arthur & Molly's youngest son was the right person for his little girl.

"My love" Ron said.

"Sold. Ronald Bilius Weasley, you have my permission to marry my daughter., But remember this, if you hurt her or make her cry, there is no place on earth that I will not go to hunt you down." Remus said sternly. "My heightened senses will aid me greatly in tracking you down to the ends of the earth and beyond. As you've already died once, think you understand that there is nowhere I will not follow you."

"Understood." Ron said.

"Good." Remus said brightly. "Now who would like some cake?" Remus asked.

"Cake is always good Mooney." Ron said as the two men left to find some cake.

"That boy is head over heels in love with you." Dora told Hermione.

"I know. And I think Daddy is in love with you too Dora." Hermione said.

"I hope so. Because I am in love with him."

Arthur Weasley was not a nervous man by nature, nor was he timid. He found it easier many times to let his wife huff and puff and be the loud voice when dealing with their children. However, when Arthur needed to, he could be just as loud as his wife. However he always preferred the quiet approach. The talks with his children when they were in trouble did more to stop them than anything else.

However, today he was truly nervous. The Secretary for The Director of Magical Law Enforcement, Amelia Bones, who was tapped to be the Queen's Minister for Magic, had fire-called Lionfire Hall informing him that Director Bones wanted to meet with him immediately. Arthur was under the impression that 'No' was not an option here. So he quickly dressed in his best robes, which he quickly realized after flooing to the ministry that they were not his, but fit him perfectly, and enter the DMLE and was escorted to a rather nice office where he was told Director Bones would meet with him after her meeting.

That was two hours ago. Amy, who was one of the DMLE secretaries, had taken very good care of him by keeping him supplied with tea, water, scones, and various newspapers, both magical and mundane, for him to pass the time. Arthur enjoyed having the time to actually do the crossword puzzles for a change.

Finally the door opened and a haggard looking Director Bones entered with Amy and Bonnie taking notes. "…And make sure that Fudge and Umbridge do not try to remove anything from those offices." Bones said.

"And where is Arthur Weasley?"

"Sitting in front of you Ma'am" Amy stated.

"Oh." Director Bones looked up and saw Arthur Weasley in front of her looking nervous. "Ok you two, you have your assignments. And send in Kingsley when he returns and tell Scrimgeour and Robards to shut up." The Director said to her two assistants.

"Run ruff shot over the boys. Got it." Bonnie said as she left with Amy right behind her.

"Director Bones." Arthur said.

"Stop that director Arthur, we are cousins." Bones said.

"Alright Amy" Arthur said relaxing. "What can I do for you?"

"I want you to serve as Deputy Minister for Magic when I become Minister next week." Amelia said simply.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me Arthur. It is time for you to step up and lead."

"Why me?"

"Because I trust you. Because at the end of the day, no matter what anyone else says, the decision is mine to make and because I need you Arthur." Amelia said simply.

"Director Bones, I have never led a large staff before." Arthur said.

"There are pensieve extracts you will need to take before you can start. Many of the morons who have come before us did not use them, they also did not add to them." Amelia said.

"Excuse me?"

"Since the Pensieve Extract was first created, the Ministry of Magic has had a full time staff of Mind Healers creating and updating the extracts that would serve the next person in line. Fudge and others have not only not used them, but have not dumped their knowledge into the pool so to speak. Before Cornelius leaves, he is getting strapped to a chair and giving us his knowledge as Minister. The Mind Healers then go through and remove anything that is not needed and discard them. In case of Cornelius and Crouch, none of their memories are being destroyed."

"My oldest, Bill, said that Gringotts used extracts quite a bit. It makes sense that we should as well." Arthur admitted.

"Duke Gryffindor informed me about them. I wish I had them when I first became director of the DLME."

"Neither did I until Harry told me when I asked him."

"You're on a first name basis with him?" Amelia asked.

"I should be. He is my son-in-law by virtue of a soul-bond." Arthur stated with a smile.

Amelia looked at Arthur before quickly raising the wards Nicholas and Harry erected during their first visit. "So you know?"

"That Harry is older than we are, yes. So is my daughter."

"How? The soul-bond."

"Correct Amelia. From what I understand, when Hermione and Harry came back, their bonds came with them. They were bonded to our children here, but also to the _souls_ or _spirits_ from the future. In order to survive, the future soul and the current soul had to come together and merge. At least that is what Perenelle explained to us."

"So you are staying…"

"For the time being at Lionfire Hall. Gringotts is rewarding the Burrow and it will take a couple of weeks."

"Arthur, if you accept, you will receive a substantial pay raise. There is also money allocated for security improvements of the Deputy Minister's home if he or she chooses to not move into the Ministry provided home." Amelia said. She, like most people who knew the Weasleys knew they did not like charity and talking about money made her uncomfortable.

"I see that you have heard about my stubbornness regarding money."

"It is somewhat legendary Arthur."

"Amelia, let me explain this simply." Arthur said, putting his cards on the table so to speak. "I have seven children given to me by my wife. They were born in our home. I have two children thru soul-bonding with my youngest children. They both called the Burrow Home for most of their lives inn their time. I also have one grandchild who is heir to Lord Grayson and his clan. She is already asking us when she can go home to the Burrow.

"My home is the Burrow. It is held together by magic, and any self-respected pureblood would cringe to see it. When I bought it from Charles Potter, the house was a small shack. He loaned me furniture, including a bed so that Molly could be comfortable 7 months pregnant with Bill. As my family has grown so has my home. That is where I wish to live, as Deputy Minister, or as a Janitor. However, I understand that it must be secured because of the position you are offering me. I think while we are at it, we can make the Burrow bigger and maybe a little bit more normal looking, but I will not live in a home like Malfoy Manor, or even Old Bones Manor, nothing personal—"

"No offense taken." Amelia said.

"—But they're too much for us. I want my home to keep the same feeling the Burrow has." Arthur said.

"And that is makes you Arthur Weasley, a better man than most anyone I know." Amelia said. "I can recommend a great architectural and construction company if you like. They built the Little Manor for me when Edgar was killed. I could not live in a rebuilt Bones Manor. They kept what I loved of my house and combined it into what I loved of the old manor." Amelia said.

Arthur looked at Amelia Bones the next Minster of Magic and saw that she looked stressed, and needed help. Arthur already knew what his answer was going to be from the moment he had been offered the job, but hearing the reason from Amelia helped soothe his soul a bit.

"As long as I can live in my home, I accept." Arthur finally said.

"Thank Merlin." Amelia said. "Now in the name of full disclosure, is there anything I should know about you and your family?"

"Molly's father was an asshole and withheld most of Molly's dowry when we were married." Arthur stated.

"Anything else?"

"When he died, he tried to declare the Prewitt line extinct because he did not approve of my marriage to Molly. However he was not head of the Prewitt Family. Molly's Uncle Gus was, he named Charlie, my second oldest, Heir Apparent before he died. Because Charlie has been out of the country, he has never claimed his title."

"Arthur, is there anything illegal that I should know about?" Molly asked.

Arthur took a deep breath and answered. "My eldest son regularly works with Blood Magics and other magics not approved by the Ministry with his work with Gringotts."

"What 'other magics'?"

"I have no idea and Bill cannot tell me. His vows with Gringotts prevent him disclosing many of the things he does." Arthur said. Amelia made a note to speak with Gringotts.

"What else? You said your granddaughter is Heir to Lord Grayson's Clan?"

"My granddaughter, who I just learned about a few days ago, is the child of my son Charles and his wife Maria Weasley nee Perry who was killed by Lucius Malfoy. She was half vampire."

"And not registered." Amelia said.

"No. Lord Grayson would never stand for that. For his own blood to be treated like animals by a government that he had said on many occasions has lost its way, no. He would declare war on us first." Arthur said.

"Your granddaughter is Lord Grayson's granddaughter?" Amelia asked stunned.

"Yes. Besides them, and my twin boys Fred and George, we Weasleys are clean." Arthur said.

"I have heard about the pranks your boys pull Arthur. Off the record, they are smarter than many people I have ever met. On the record, they are a menace. I get at least five complaints a year from professors at Hogwarts. Of course the professors are Snape & Kettleburn, who have no sense of humor."

"I will deal with them today Amelia, I promise." Arthur said.

"Good." Amelia said as she reached from the intercom on the desk. "Amy, come in here please."

Amy, the secretary who had been taking care of Arthur earlier, entered the office once again. "Amy, this is Arthur Weasley, my choice for Deputy Minister. You are his secretary now. Your desk will be right outside this office as this is Arthur's new office."

Amy turned to look at Arthur and spoke. "I can see where Bill and Charlie got theirs looks from. Though Bill also got his height from you."

"You know my boys?"

"I was Maria's best friend." Amy said sadly.

Arthur rose from his seat and stood before the secretary "Then you're almost family to me. Remember this Amy, you are the first line of defense to get to me. There will be many people who want a minute of my time, you get to choose who gets in to see me. From here on out you are one of two women who will control my life, the other is my wife Molly. You will win against her sometimes and you will lose sometimes. Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Then let's get to work."

"Then you are late for your first meeting Mr. Deputy Minister sir." Amy said with a smirk.

"What meeting?"

"The same one I am late for. We are meeting with the Court of Magical Brethren." Amelia said as she rose from her seat.

"When was the last time the Minister of Magic or any high ranking official has met with the Court of Magical Brethren?" Arthur asked.

"Never." Amy said. "But the Duke of Gryffindor thought it would be a good idea and so he asked that the meeting be placed on your calendars."

"Let's go Arthur." Amelia said as she left the room at high speed.

Amelia and Arthur took several shortcuts to avoid people in the halls on their way to the meeting room. Because of the queen's orders, while Fudge was still technically Minister, he was a lame duck and powerless. He could not even order a cup of tea without the approval of the Queen or her designee, Amelia Bones. This meant that people who would normally try to speak to the minister were trying to get to Madam Bones as she was the next Minister.

When they arrived at the Minister's Offices, Amelia turned and headed to one of the larger conference rooms reserved for the Minister of Magic. Arriving at the door she nodded her head to the Aurors at the door. "Any issues?"

"No Ma'am. No one has disturbed the occupants and they have been very polite to us and each other." One of the Aurors said.

Amelia straightened her shoulders and motioned to open the doors to the conference room. She then entered the room with Arthur right behind her.

"Ladies & Gentlemen please excuse my tardiness. I was dealing with a few idiots who thought my orders were mere suggestions." Amelia said.

"They wouldn't happen to have been the fools who tried to kill two of my clan?" The tall human looking man asked. He wore a muggle suit of extreme high quality with an over robe made from acromantula silk. All of his clothing was jet black with bronze buttons and accessories. His hair was jet black and slicked back, but it were his eyes which startled Amelia. They were the coolest gray she had ever seen. They seemed to contain wisdom as old as time.

"Yes they are Lord Grayson. And please accept my thanks for my not killing my aurors." Amelia said.

"The only reason they are alive is because you are the next Queen's Minister for Magic. If Fudge were still in charge, I would have ordered them killed, their families killed, their supervisors killed and their bodies drained of every ounce of blood and deposited their carcasses on Fudge's desk."

"You really do not like Fudge, do you?" Arthur asked.

Lord Grayson looked at Arthur for a moment. "You are Arthur Weasley, Charles' father."

"That is correct Lord Grayson." Arthur said.

"Charles did tell you then?"

"As soon as they returned to England. Molly was ecstatic."

"As was Maria's mother when Maria told us."

"Maria's mother is not your wife?"

Lord Grayson shook his head. "Elizabeth is my third wife. My first wife and I lived for almost two thousand years before she died. I remained single for many years until I met Katherine, who was mortal. To this day I feel as if Mary had been reincarnated in Katherine. I fell in love with her, married, and had a life with her before I was forced to make a decision."

"Turn her or let her die." Arthur said.

"She was in labor with Maria when we were in an accident, on the way to the hospital. I watched as Katherine slipped away with Maria still inside her. I turned Katherine and then delivered Maria on the side of the road. After Maria's death, Katherine lost her will to live and committed suicide while killing a number of magic users. I later found out it was the Malfoy family, though I still do not know why.

"My current wife, Elizabeth, who had been a friend of Katherine fell into my heart only three years ago. We were on our honeymoon when I received word that Alexia and Charles have returned to England. "

"So you have seen her?" Arthur asked.

"Yes I have. As leader of my coven and my clan, I travelled often and would drop in to see Alexis and Charles and work on her training."

"Training?" Arthur asked.

"Alexis is what we call a Day Walker. She is part vampire and has all of our strengths, but none of our weaknesses except that she burns in the sunlight. But I am told that is also because she is a Weasley." Lord Grayson said with a smile.

"That she is. I have only had her in my life for a few days, but I know I love her."

"When we are finished her, I shall escort you to my home where Charles has left most of your pictures and gifts that Alexis has made over the years."

"Thank you." Arthur said.

"I had offered many times to either bring your family to Charles, or to eliminate the threat altogether, but Charles wanted his family protected and that meant not telling who killed my angel."

"I believe introductions would be in order." Amelia said quickly. "We will return to this conversation in a moment."

Lord Grayson nodded "Of course Madam Bones, Deputy Minister Weasley and I have much to discuss, and none of it is related to our meeting. I am Lord Peter Grayson, head of the house of Grayson, leader of the vampire covens of the United Kingdom, and Chairman of the Council of Magical Brethren. To my right is Puck, representative of Oberon, King of the Fairy Folk."

"We do not deal with this land much anymore, but as a founding member of this council, we always answer it's call." Puck said.

"To his right is Griphook, Representative of the Goblin Nation and of Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Next to Griphook is Douglass Clark, Representative of the Werewolf population in the United Kingdom. Next to him is Deedee, she is the representative of the House Elves. We have two other members of the Council, but they do not leave their homes. Majorian represents those of the Forbidden Forest. They include the centuars, acromantuals, and other magical creatures." Lord Grayson waved towards one of two orbs around the room which was showing the centaur.

"Finally, we have the representative of the Merfolk. Her name is unpronounceable to most of us. We call her Sherry." Sherry's image waved at the others. "This is the Council of Magical Brethren. You are the first high level Ministry to meet with us in almost a thousand years."

Madam Bones rose from her seat and stared at each member in the eye. "The Ministry of Magic has done a very poor job of working with all of you, as a council and as individual species. As the Queen's Minister for Magic, I swear on my magic that I will build new, strong, lasting ties with this council so that together we can usher in a new age for all us.

"To that end, I would like to introduce Arthur William Weasley, my choice for Deputy Minister."

"Arthur Weasley and his family are very well known to us. We support his nomination as your Deputy, even though we have no official voice in your Ministry." Griphook said.

"That changes today. The Chairman of the Council of Magical Brethren from today henceforth will have a permanent seat on the Minister for Magic's Cabinet. So Mote It Be." Amelia said.

"Shit." The refined Lord Grayson said, proving that even the noblest of nobles had a potty mouth.

This shocked everyone in the room, including Arthur who had no idea Amelia was going to do this.

"This was the recommendation of Duke Gryffindor, though I support it one hundred percent. When we met he told me and I quote, _'For too long we have ignored, bullied, and generally pissed off the other races that live on our world. It is time we ask for forgiveness for the actions of our fathers and their fathers.'_ So I behalf of humans, I humbly ask for your forgiveness as we are all children of earth."

"Madam Bones, will you and Lord Weasley give us the room?" Griphook asked.

Amelia and Arthur both left the room and sat outside the conference room for over an hour before Lord Grayson opened the door and stepped out, closing the door behind him. "Madam Bones, you talk a rather good game. And your track record backs up what you say. You have the support of the Council. The details, we will work out after you have taken office. For now, I wish to see my granddaughter and take her and her other grandfather to lunch. Lord Weasley, shall we?"

Arthur smiled "Of course." And with that the two men left Amelia to her day while discussing their little angel.


	15. Chapter 14: Nurmengard & Grindelwald

Chapter 14: Nurmengard & Grindelwald

Six weeks had passed since the meeting with Madam Bones and the Council of Magical Brethren. She was confirmed as the Queen's Minister for Magic and made good on her promises to the Council and also to herself. She began to clean out the Ministry, starting with the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. She then changed the name to the Department of Magical Creatures and Plants, folding into the department the under-funded Department of Magical Plants and Fungi. This new department would handle everything regarding magical creatures and plants. As part of this new department the Goblin Liaison Office, the Centaur Liaison Office, the Werewolf and Vampire Registration Offices were absorbed and completely staffed and retooled to handle their new mandate. This was where magical creatures could come and find work, file complaints, and deal with various issues. This department was staffed by vela, goblins, werewolves, vampires, house-elves and other creatures. Their mandate was to aid the needs of magical races in whatever way was needed. This new department reported directly to the new Deputy Minister for Magic, Arthur Weasley. Arthur's office directly oversaw the Mundane Liaison Office and DMLE as well.

On her personal life front, Minister Bones had also agreed to go out with Sirius Black eight times in that time frame. The fifth date carried over to the next day as they got to know each other again over dinner and a long talk about their lives; though she did not mention that they had a daughter together, which would come later.

At Hogwarts, Albus and Minerva were putting the new curriculum into place while also hiring competent teachers. They were both very excited about the upcoming year. Albus, with the blessing of the High Lord of Hogwarts, hired additional staff besides teachers. Some of these people were teacher assistants, but most were in support staff roles. One of these people was an Enchanter whose job was to keep all of the magical objects, like brooms and other things, up and running.

Many of these items had been serviced and worked on by the teachers for years. The first thing the new Enchanter, William Summers, did was burn all of the school brooms as they were deemed unsafe by him and his father, who was one of the enchanters for the Nimbus Broom Company. Albus responded to the request for new brooms with a smile and told Summers to make sure the Quidditch teams got professional racing brooms when he was ordering the new brooms. Summers thought he was crazy until he saw the note on the approved invoice.

'_Keep up the good work.'_

_-HJP_

Albus also hired a second groundskeeper to work with Hagrid so that he could spend more time working with the animals around the castle. Hans Gruber was an expert groundskeeper who spent twenty years tending to the gardens of the Royal Family. He was one of the best at preserving plant life in harsh weather.

A new potions teacher was hired as Severus took Harry's orders and had retired from active teaching and was now setting up his ultimate potions lab in another area of the castle while preparing a list of potential apprentices from Hogwarts graduates. Severus was surprised that some of the equipment he ordered for his lab had been replaced or upgraded by Harry himself because as Harry wrote on one note, _'You need the best to create the best.'_

Construction also started on several long overdue projects including the new boathouse for the lake, new greenhouses, corrals, barns, and facilities for the animals. All of this was paid for with funds discovered hidden in off the ledger accounts that the Board of Governors had been keeping for years. Harry and Hermione of course already knew about them, but they had to make it look good for the common folk.

Harry and Hermione had started working with their soul mates on legislation that would be presented when the Wizengamot session opened on the first of October. All of the dark creature laws would be repealed and a number of other laws regarding animal rights and the rights of non-humans would be stricken as well. Harry also rewrote most of the inheritance laws, which had favored the purebloods for generations. Though Amelia had done quite a bit of work to clean-up the Ministry, there were still laws that only the Wizengamot could deal with.

Harry, Neville, and Albus also had a sit down with the Dowager Longbottom. After telling her the complete truth, Augusta Longbottom asked what she needed to do to help her grandson and her grand-godson. Augusta actually fainted when she was presented with the chance to become Chief Witch.

One of the reasons why Augusta was the perfect choice to be Chief Witch was because of her connections. Many of the older members of the Wizengamot still called on her regularly and asked her opinion. She was seen as the Great Compromiser by many on the Wizengamot, often times finding the compromises that were things that held the Wizengamot together and out of anarchy. While some people saw her as a push over, many more people learned that you do not double cross the Dowager Longbottom and escape scot free.

Harry and Sirius also paid a visit to the Daily Prophet to discuss the biased and most of the time sensationalized reporting done by certain individuals there. Bringing to bear their full power as majority shareholders of the paper, the two men made sure Rita Skeeter would not be a thorn in their side and that the Prophet remained an independent source of news. It also helped that the Prophet had recently hired a new Editor-in-Chief.

Hermione, Ron, and Ginny enjoyed seeing Harry collaborate with people this time around. Harry had always been of the 'Lone Wolf' opinion forever in their previous lives, which caused many problems, including the loss of his younger son Albus Severus Potter at the end of World War III. Though Ginny and the others knew Albus Severus had died, only Harry knew why he died, and that was a secret he was taking to his grave.

However, there was one thing that Harry had been working on that he did not tell anyone about. He was working on how to enter the Nurmengard, the prison where Gellert Grindelwald was placed, without killing himself or anyone else in order to deal with imprisoned Dark Lord once and for all.

When Albus raised the wards around the castle and grounds, trapping his mortal enemy, it almost killed him. He used every bit of magical power within 50 miles of the castle to make sure Grindelwald could never escape. To this day the area fifty miles around Nurmengard was a dead zone. No magic existed there, except what was carried in. When Voldemort broke into the castle, destroying the wards, he did it at the expense of twenty-eight magical souls which gave him the power to literally blow the wards apart.

When Harry and Ron led the assault to free Russia in World War III, they staged in what was left of the castle. Ginny and Hermione had built magical energy collectors that would collect the ambient magic of an area, store it, and then when it was placed into a location, would give off the magic. It was the only way the dragons and other magical creatures that fought in the war could survive there. Because of the energy sinks, the area became full of life and magic once more. It had been considered to be one of the strongest concentrations of magic in the world according to an article Hermione's Great Grandson wrote about the area.

Harry finally stumbled upon the information he needed when going through his rather large library at Lionfire Hall. The Lionfire Hall Library was linked with every major library in the world as well as every one that Harry had access to through his positions and family ties. Thanks to his Grandmother's organizational abilities, Harry was able to search all of the libraries from what amounted to a card catalog.

A small book about understanding magic spoke about ownership, and about how the true owner of a property could not be stopped from entering, no matter how many enchantments that he or she placed to keep everyone out. It also dealt with the idea of intent. Harry knew, thanks to talks with Albus, that his intent when he cast the spells was to keep the world safe by separating Albus from his onetime lover. Now that Albus knew that he was being controlled by Gellert, he could now do what needed to done and end the former Dark Lord.

The book went to explain that it would take enormous power for the rightful owner to open a hole in the enchantments from outside, but once the rightful owner was inside their home, they could easily dispel any enchantments placed on the home.

Harry spoke to Bill Weasley about this concept, as he was a Curse Beaker and Ward Breaker, and what he needed to have happen. Bill explained that this was indeed a universal fact and one of the most closely guarded secrets in Warding. With these facts, Harry put into play his plan to remove one more avenue for Tom Riddle to use in quest to return to power. Though Gellert Grindelwald was a powerful wizard, he was old. His body could not channel the power needed in a duel with Tom Riddle if there ever was one. If Tom defeated Grindelwald, then he could steal his magic and use it himself.

After speaking to Ginny, Hermione and Ron about his plans and having them start to make the necessary preparations; it was late when Harry made his way to Albus' Office at Hogwarts. Albus had been in meetings with various members of Wizengamot all day in his office. Though he had offices at the Ministry as Chief Warlock, he seldom used them. In fact the only times he used them were when he needed to have a quick meeting during Wizengamot sessions. He had given Arthur Weasley the offices whenever he needed it as Arthur still did not have large enough facilities for his staff. Though Arthur made sure Albus still had an office to use if he needed it.

"What can I do for you Harry?" Albus asked as Harry entered the office.

"I know how to get into Nurmengard Castle." Harry said bluntly.

"How?" Albus asked.

"You are the rightful owner of Nurmengard Castle, the house elves respond to you and obey you correct?"

"Yes, but I placed wards that will not allow me to enter the castle." Albus said.

"They won't work. Magic will not allow you to lock yourself out of your own home." Harry explained as he poured himself a large glass of orange juice.

"But it did. I tried to enter the castle many times, but I could not."

Harry shook his head, realizing that the headmaster had way too much on his plate if he forgot one of the basic rules of magic. "Albus, we need to get you back in the classroom for a while. What is the first rule of magic?"

Albus looked blankly at Harry before the light-bulb went off in his head. "Intent." Harry nodded. "I cast the spells intending to keep me out for all time as well as anyone else because I thought I might be tempted to free him."

"And now?"

"I cannot free him. You are right Harry, he is too dangerous to leave alive." Albus said. "Harry, I abhor the use of violence. And I especially abhor killing. But there is a time and a place where you must do things you abhor."

"I can do it for you Albus, if you need me too. Just open the door for me." Harry said with a chilling look.

"Thank you Harry, but I cannot ask you do this. This is my task, my destiny if you will. I must deal with my Dark Lord so that you can deal with yours." Albus said. "And I hope that you learn from my mistakes."

"So do I. And together we can guide this world into a future that will be better than the past we leave behind." Harry said.

"Well said Harry." Albus said, looking at the young man across the desk from him. "However we still have to deal with Gellert first; I have been looking through some of the libraries I have access to and have found that there are spells that would allow someone to steal someone else's magic. I do not want to think about Tom could do if he managed to steal Gellert's magic, he would have more magic than anyone in history."

"Except me. I blew the rankings off the scale, both magic and elemental powers." Harry said a little smugly. "But I agree with you it was bad the first time. When the final battle came, Tom had already killed Gellert and stole part of his magic. We never did find out how, but he did it. He single handedly destroyed the wards around Hogwarts Albus."

"He destroyed the wards?"

"Yep. When Minerva tried to raise the wards after the battle was over she discovered that the master Wardstone was literally shattered. Bill Weasley and a team from Gringotts spent 3 months recreating what happened to the stone."

"But the Wardstone had survived since the time of the Founders!"

"I know. I've seen it; I am glad that the founders decided to have a Heartstone and a Wardstone for Hogwarts instead of just one. Once we were able to put a new Wardstone in place, we are able to get the new wards up. After I claimed my inheritance, we were able to bring all the wards back up to the original strength."

"Amazing Harry. But we need to get back to the task at hand." Albus said.

For the next few hours Harry and Albus spoke about Harry's plan to get through the wards and what was inside the castle that needed to be collected.

"Once we get to Gellert, we'll need to lower the wards around his cell." Albus said after many hours.

"I know, and when you get there he'll try to control you. Ginny and I will wait outside as you speak to him. Remember to not let him get to you. You are the better man Albus. Once he is out of his cell, we'll neutralize him."

"How?"

"With this" Harry said as he reached into his robes and removed a jewel from a pocket. "This is a manufactured emerald encased in a flawless manufactured diamond. Once I place this on the floor in sight of Grindelwald, it will begin to draw his magic into itself. I have tuned it to his magical signature only. There are a couple of catches, one is that you are going to be in pain as the magic that has bound you to him will try to latch onto you to survive. It will fail and you will be free. Second is that you are going to have place this on his body. After his magic is drained, Grindelwald will not be able to survive without his magic because of what he has done to his body." 

"Are you sure?" Albus asked.

"Yes. While Ginny and I are with you, Hermione and Ron will secure his office, libraries, and anything else not bolted down." Harry said in a tone that brokered no argument.

"When do we leave?"

"I have a chartered jet waiting for us in Glasgow." Harry said. "We will fly to an American military base in Estonia and then take ground transportation into Russia and into the Dead Zone and finally to Nurmengard. I hope to be back within the week."

Albus nodded his head. "Then let us go."

Twenty Four Hours Later

Northern Russia

Magical Dead Zone

Nurmengard Castle

This area of Russia, which was almost completely barren, was one of the barest, most inhospitable areas on earth. Which was why when Gellert Grindelwald needed a place to build his fortress, he chose here. Though he did not build Nurmengard Castle, he simply moved it from Northern Germany where the castle had been built in the 1600's. When Adolf Hitler rose to power, he gave his friend, confidant, and some even say lover Gellert Grindelwald the castle as a thank you for the aid he gave him in his rise to power.

Grindelwald then used the life force of over 500 Jews that were scheduled to die and moved the castle to its new home. Towards the end of the war, it was discovered that Gellert like using Soul Magic to do impossible feats and to boost his own magical core. It was because of this more than anything else that convinced Albus Dumbledore to join the war and take on Gellert directly with the aid of the Order of the Phoenix.

Standing in front of the castle, Albus took a deep breath in order to center himself. He had sworn to never return to this place, in order to pay his penance for his youth. However, he learned that his decisions about his youth might have been influenced by his onetime lover infuriated him. Dumbledore was a huge believer in free will, though some people would disagree with that belief based on his preaching of the Greater Good and second chances.

"Are you ready Albus?" Harry asked.

"As I ever will be" Albus answered truthfully.

"Relax and accept the magic we are loaning you." Ron said as he placed his hand on Dumbledore's back. Hermione copied Ron's movement. Harry and Ginny held hands before Harry placed a hand on Dumbledore's left arm. Dumbledore felt the power of the four of them almost instantly. When Harry touched Dumbledore, Albus felt the power that Gellert always said they should have for themselves. The difference between them was Albus wanted to work hard to get them and if he did not get them he could accept it while Gellert did not want to wait or care about who he hurt.

With the magic to do almost anything he could think of, Albus spoke in a commanding voice. "I call upon magic to allow me entrance!"

The five individuals watched and felt as their combined and channeled magic battled the magic that protected Nurmengard for years. Soon enough, the combined magic from the five forced the Nurmengard magic to bend and submit allowing Albus to command the wards to allow them entrance. Once the entrance formed, all five individuals took a moment to take in a deep breath; it took some serious magical strength and strength of mind and will to force the wards to take commands from their master once again. Especially when Albus had so much magic the first time.

"We should hurry. Gellert will know we are here." Hermione said.

"Right. Hermione, Ron, you two know what you need to do." Harry said.

"How long do we wait till we go and get you?" Ron asked.

"If we fail, get the hell out of here." Harry said with a determined face before he and Ginny walked away from their siblings following Albus.

The walk up to the highest tower was slow as there were numerous spells and enchantments that they had to dispel. It was easier with Albus in command of the castle fully once again, but it still took time. When they finally reached the top floor, Harry had enough and cast an over powered reductor curse at the door. The curse took out the door and a large part of the wall, allowing them access.

Albus walked in first and looked around. Sitting at his desk within his cell was a much older Gellert Grindelwald. Harry and Ginny remained outside the room, waiting for the right time, as to the plan. Harry knew that Albus needed to put the past to rest once and for all. While they waited, Harry prepared the crystal, making last minute adjustments to it.

"Albus, my old friend how are you?" Gellert asked from his chair behind iron bars.

Albus smiled "As well as can be expected. I am Headmaster of Hogwarts and am enjoying life. However, I discovered something rather strange."

"What would that be?" Gellert asked.

"That I had potions in me that forced me to do things I did not want to do." Albus stated as his calm demeanor changed into an icy tone which would send most men running for the hills.

Gellert let out a laugh. "You loved it when we were together. I still remember your moaning as I slide my broomstick into your pucker hole. And you loved to do the same thing to me. All I did was use some potions to make sure you enjoyed it more, and of course to allow me to steal your magic."

"I was young and in pain. You took advantage of me after losing both of my parents." Albus said.

"And you killed your defective sister when your idiot brother intervened in my plans."

"Ariana was not defective! She was the sweetest girl in the world and you killed her!" Dumbledore spat. Gellert smiled.

"And what of your brother? Is he still charming goats? Pity." Gellert goaded.

For the first time ever, Harry and Ginny saw Albus Dumbledore lose his cool and cast a bludgeoning hex at Gellert, causing the iron cell to shatter. Gellert smirked and stood up, waving his hand, freezing Albus in place.

'_That was easier than I thought.'_ Harry thought.

'_I did not know Albus could get that angry.' _Ginny replied through their bond.

'_Be ready for Plan B & C'_ Harry said as he listened.

"Thank you Albus. I needed you to free me. I could have done it, but it was easier to have you, the master of this castle, do it." Gellert said as he waved his hand and his clothing changed into semiformal wizarding robes.

"It took much longer than I thought, but I will finally be able to get what I wanted from you all those years ago. I had seen you in the TriWizard Tournament, though you did not win and knew that I needed your magic for my master plan. Do you really think that the only place left for a magical like me to live after my parent tragically died was that small village you called home, or that that I was related to that old bat? No! I used the Imperious Course on her to set up my cover to get close to you. I knew that you planned to go on walkabout and then started teaching at that school of yours, wasting the power you had.

"I cannot believe I had to endure getting buggered by you repeatedly to get enough of your life energy to create the link between so that I could attempt to steal your magic. The trouble was you were able to overpower the potions I had given you. Your brother knew what he was doing when he started that fight. Your adrenaline counteracted the potions, making the link and myself weak.

While you fought with Aberforth, I had no other choice but to steal your defective sister's magic, which also gave me most of your brother's because of his bond with her, though he still lived. But it still was not enough to defeat you so I fled.

"Years later when I acquired the Death Stick, I knew I could finally have what I wanted all along, your magic. So I began my final push with Adolf, only to be stopped by you and your righteousness. But my fallback plan worked. You would not kill me, instead you gave me the time I needed to rebuild my power and prepare to deal with you once and for all. And now Albus Dumbledore, when I rip your magic from your body and enlarge my core once again, I shall also take your power over Hogwarts and this castle, making me the most powerful magic user in the history of the world!" Gellert said with a maniac gleam.

"Shut up you old fart!" Harry said, having heard more than enough bullshit. He stepped into the room, dropping the crystal onto the floor, activating it.

"Who are you?"

"I am Harry James Potter, Duke Gryffindor of Gryffindor, Lord Protector of the Magical Realm, High Lord of Hogwarts, Lord of the Ancient Houses of Gryffindor, Peverell, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, & Hufflepuff, Lord of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter, Heir Apparent of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, Master of Death, and the wizard who is going to kick your ass all the way to hell." Harry said.

Gellert looked at the child in front of him as if he were a cockroach. "You are not that powerful. You are a child."

Harry snapped his fingers and Albus was free. At the same time Grindelwald was levitated off the ground and was being choked by an invisible hand. "You see Gellert, Albus is the closest thing I have to a grandparent since Tom Riddle, who you helped train, killed my parents. Now I owe this man a lot, and helping him with this little issue here is easy."

"You cannot kill me boy."

"Actually, I can. But I choose not to. I instead choose to drain your magic, just like you have done to thousands of people." Harry said before he used his elemental powers, creating a tomb of ice which trapped Grindelwald. Harry then summoned the stone and placed it directly onto the trapped wizard's chest before sealing the ice tomb and watched as Grindelwald's magic was pulled from his body much quicker than Albus realized it would take.

"Albus, he is all yours." Harry said.

Albus watched as Gellert's magic was absorbed by the crystal and his body began to wrinkle and die. After a few minutes, which could have been hours, Albus felt the magic in the bindings cast on him begun to fail. Finally the inner glow of the crystal stopped pulsing. Grindelwald's magic was now enclosed in the crystal.

"Goodbye Gellert. May peace be brought to those you killed with your passing.

Albus summoned the crystal through the ice and passed it to Ginny before casting a bludgeoning hex at the ice tomb, causing it and Gellert to shatter into a millions pieces. Harry then banished the remains to an active volcano. Gellert Grindelwald, the power behind Adolf Hitler was finally dead and Albus was free.

Albus looked to where Gellert had once stood and felt his emotions churn before he said one more goodbye and turned away to face Harry and Ginny. "It is done."

"Yes it is. You're free now Albus make the most of it." Ginny said.

"There is no reason for this castle to remain here now." Harry said, using his Mage Sight to check over his quasi-grandfather. He saw that the magic that Grindelwald had used was leeching out of his feet and into the world, harmless.

"What do you have in mind Harry?" Albus asked.

"We destroy the Heartstone of the castle." Harry said. "And then the castle itself."

"What about the house elves?" Ginny asked.

"Since they are bond to me, I can send them to my homes. My Chateau in Switzerland is in need some elves as well as my home in England. It is a small home, but it is mine." Albus said.

"What about Aberforth? Do you think he could use some help at the Hogshead?" Ginny asked.

Albus thought for a moment before responding. "I don't know. We still have not talked yet."

"That is the first thing on your list you need to do when we get back." Harry said. "In the meantime, the remaining elves can go to Hogwarts for a while."

Albus called for all the elves and told them where to go. Once they were gone, the threesome made their way down where Hermione and Ron were waiting for them.

"Report" Harry ordered in 'General' tone.

"All of Grindelwald's notes and journals are packed up. We also packed up all of the libraries here that were stored or linked here. There are some rather dark books in the world." Hermione said.

"Yes there are. Did you separate them?" Albus asked.

"Yes we did." Hermione said.

"I also thought we might want this place leveled so the elves and I placed all the C4 I brought around the castles main supports as well as the Heartstone." Ron said with a smile. "Just like when we liberated Russia in the war."

Harry smiled. "Great minds think alike. Sounds like a good plan. Let's blow this place." Harry said.

"What is C4?" Albus asked.

"It is an explosive mundanes use. It is very powerful. It is able to be shaped to send the explosive charge exactly where it needs to go. One ounce of C4 is equal to roughly 20 stick of dynamite." Ron explained as they walked down the stairs of the castle and outside.

"How much C4 did you use?" Harry asked.

"I used every ounce I had." Ron said, making Harry, Ginny, and Hermione walk away faster from the castle, dragging Albus "400 pounds in total. You have to love shrinking charms."

After World War III, Ron became the resident fire and explosives expert in England. Mundane, Magical, Human, Goblin, Dragon, it made no difference. If it went boom and caught fire, Ron loved it.

The group was now 300 hundred yards from the castle and still walking. Harry and Ginny had started to use their elemental powers and erect barriers to protect them from the blast that was coming their way. Finally after being over 1500 yards away did Ron pass the detonator to Harry. Harry then passed it to Albus and instructed him on how to use it.

Albus looked at the castle one more time before pressing the trigger, releasing the explosive forces on the castle. At first Albus could not see anything and thought the C4 failed but Ron answered his unspoken question. "The explosives are staggered. The first to fire were those around the Heartstone and the pedestal it stood on. As you can see."

Albus nodded as he saw the color of the castle leech away as the magical life of the castle bled into the earth and into nothingness. "The next sets blow the internal supports with the final set taking down the walls. Once it has all fallen, the wards will collapse magic should slowly return to this area." Ron explained.

"We'll then use our elemental powers and remove the remains from view. After that, nature should take over and make this area beautiful again." Harry finished.

The group watched as the castle did exactly what it should have done. Within the hour, the remains of the castle were gone, reclaimed by the earth and the five witches and wizards were driving away, heading back to their lives.


	16. Chapter 15: End of Summer

Chapter 15: End of Summer

After many days of hard work and enough craziness to last a lifetime, the end of the summer was approaching and with that the start of the school year at Hogwarts and then the opening of the Wizengamot.

Harry and Ginny decided that it was time for some away time from their family and the responsibilities they had brought upon themselves. With only Ron and Hermione, they left a note in Harry's office at Lionfire and took off.

_Hello Family:_

_We went on vacation. See you in a week_

_Harry & Ginny Potter_

_Ron & Hermione Weasley_

_P.S. As the owner of Hogwarts, I demand the Headmaster and Deputy take a few days off as well._

Indeed when Molly Weasley discovered the children were missing, she went on one of her legendary tirades until another note appeared.

_Relax Mum. We're fine._

After Sirius, Remus, Amelia, and Perenelle spoke to her, she relaxed a little. Sirius thought it was the calming draught Perenelle spiked her tea with, but was not going to ask.

The foursome, after leaving Lionfire Hall, apparated to America and to one of Harry's houses in Southern California on the beach for some well-earned relaxation "Welcome to Laguna Beach." Harry said to his brother and sister.

"We've been here before Harry. Remember, this is where Hugo was conceived." Hermione said.

"That could have been anywhere; you two were hornier than rabbits once you got together." Ginny said as she began to unpack the deck furniture from their storage place in a trunk on the deck.

Hermione looked at Ginny "Point taken, but I know this is where Hugo was conceived because I stopped taking my potion when we came here for our second honeymoon."

"Let's not get into our sex lives from our past lives." Ron said as he opened another deck trunk that held the umbrellas for the tables "Unless Harry wants to admit how he got Ginny to allow him to sleep with Daphne Greengrass."

"That was easy. Daphne slept with both of us, but there was no sex involved." Harry said as he walked to the kitchen area and pulled out four bottles of soda and passed them around.

"Then how did the Greengrass finances fall under your control?" Hermione asked, still holding one of the chairs that she had not set up yet. It was one of the biggest questions that Hermione had never had answered.

"Daphne married a muggleborn two years out of Hogwarts. After she proved she was not a Death Eater, and her entire family had remained neutral, she was given control of her family assets by the Wizengamot and Gringotts. Anyway, during the London Bombing in 2005, her husband was killed and she was injured. Some of Tom's cronies who had not been caught yet tried to take control of her fortune during this time, trying to claim some ancient obscure law.

"Still recovering from the bombing, she traveled to Lionfire Hall and asked for help. She cried herself to sleep that night as she relived the terrors of seeing her parents killed and then her husband killed. The next morning when she woke up, I placed her under the protection of the Ancient House of Flamel and took active control of the Greengrass finances, which while impressive, had grown stagnant because of no active investments and began to shrink.

"Once she was recovered and healed, I made sure she was tutored on estate management so that she could handle her own affairs. Her father never taught her or Astoria as he assumed their husbands would manage it. When she eventually remarried and moved to Australia, she left control of the Greengrass assets in England and Europe to me and PGB Inc. to manage while she took on the Oceanic and Far East assets of her family directly. Daphne served on the Board of Directors for PGB Inc. from the time of the bombings until her death, if you remember. Her grandson married Lily's daughter Aurora and took over Daphne's place on the board not too long ago." Harry explained.

"Why did you never tell us?" Ron asked as he sat down in one of the chairs.

"Because it was easier for everyone to think Harry had a mistress with my permission. It helped quell some of the traditional purebloods that were bitching that Harry was not a proper wizard." Ginny explained as she settled in her chair.

"Daphne was a good person, but she hated attention, like Harry. The Daily Prophet would make her life hell if they knew, even though nothing happened. When she fell asleep, she fell asleep on the couch in our sitting room. We took her to the guest room, but in the middle of the night she came in looking for us, god she was so scared." Ginny said, remembering the time in question. "She curled up between us like a scared little girl. The next morning, we agreed to never speak of her nightmares again; however we did tell her if she ever needed us, we'd be there. We also talked about using the idea of Daphne being Harry's concubine for the House of Flamel as a good cover for her to remain out of the lime light. The House of Flamel still had a number of privacy laws protecting its members. As she and her family were protected by the Ancient Laws, no one could touch her."

"You just never told everyone the reason she was under your protection." Hermione finished.

"Sneaky wankers" Ron said with a smile.

"I believe the term you are looking for is _Slytherin_" Harry smiled.

"Yep. And remember, Daphne is Albus' godmother after all." Ginny finished as she took a deep hit of her soda.

"In all the years I've known you two, I never knew about this." Ron admitted.

"For good reason Ronald." Ginny said. "Your Occlumency still sucks."

"So now that is settled, who wants to surf?" Harry asked, changing the subject.

They four of them surfed most of the day and had a barbeque on the beach that night. Ron had cooked steaks, potatoes, and corn while Hermione handled the salads and drinks. Hermione was one hell of a bartender. Even though they were in eleven year old bodies, they still had adult tastes. Hermione simply made virgin versions of their drinks.

After enjoying one of the best barbeques ever and laughing and having fun together playing cards on the deck, Hermione and Ron retired to bed as Hermione had finally lost her battle with the sandman as she sat by the fire. Ron had carried her to bed, allowing Harry and Ginny to clean up and chat as he and his wife shared clean up duties.

After making sure Ron & Hermione were in their room, Ginny started the conversation she wanted to have with Harry for hours. "Why did you lie to them?" Ginny asked as she was drying the dishes Harry was washing.

"About what?" Harry asked as he washed the dishes in front of him, though had to use a stool because of his height.

"About Daphne."

"Because it was and is between us. Besides, it was your fault." Harry asked.

"Don't blame this on me. You could have said no." Ginny said.

"I could never say no to you Ginny, especially when I find you bare ass naked in our bed, eating Daphne out with a replica of my cock in your cunt." Harry said. "I thought you were leaving me until I felt that something was wrong with how Daphne's magic was reacting. The next morning when Daphne explained what had happened to her and Adam, it just confirmed that you were under a spell, the same as Daphne." Harry said. They were silent for a few minutes before Harry spoke again. "Did you never realize that it was not her choice to climb into our bed?"

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked.

Harry waved his hand and the dishes began to clean themselves. The house was charmed and warded for privacy and to hide magic from the mundanes, so no could peer into a window and freak out. Harry then took Ginny's had and walked back out to the fire-pit where they had dinner. After lighting the fire again and placing warming charms and privacy wards did Harry speak "You know I could always feel magic, correct?"

"Of course" Ginny said.

"The night Daphne and you…fucked…the reason I came into the bedroom armed was because I felt threatening magic. It was coming from Daphne, but it was not hers. I watched you for five minutes before I realized what the magic was, it was Binding Magic."

"What?!"

"Daphne's Uncle, some Death Eater who was killed months before, cast very Dark Magic on Daphne, which caused her to want to bind herself to me. When Adam died, magic forced her on an unconscious level to seek me out. Daphne knew you were susceptible to outside influences thanks to Tom Riddle and the Binding Spell did the rest." 

"Why did you fuck us then?" Ginny asked.

"I was twenty four years old and there were two hot chicks, one of them was my wife, whom I loved more than my own life, in my bed fucking." Harry said laughing. "Besides, I knew I needed to deal with Daphne and protect you both from the magic doing something terrible. Also, I thought that if I stopped her from fucking you at any time, you might kill me."

"Asshole."

"Yes I am. And you loved it when yours was buggered." Harry said as he summoned Ginny to his lap and began to massage her ass cheeks a little. "But remember, I never fucked Daphne. I did not want to touch her. You are my wife, and I would not do that to you. Also I could feel the magic trying to attack me. If I would have fucked her, the magic would have affected me. So I used you as a channel and burned out the Binding Magic within her as you were licking her, which coupled with the orgasm she got from you, knocked her out." Harry said.

Ginny turned to her husband and took his hands in hers. "The next morning, Daphne and I thought we were hung over. We agreed to never speak of it again, but we did seem to be closer."

"A side effect of the magic. When I freed Daphne, I might have removed all of the others magics that were foreign to her. Her body needed outside magic, so I forced it to use yours and a sibling bond formed because of that. I would have used my magic; she would have become Chattel to me. I refuse to do that to anyone. I can't believe I never told you."

"You know, now that you mention it, I think you did. I feel like we have had this conversation before." Ginny admitted.

"Could be that some of your memories were scrambled when you returned to this time." Harry said. "We might ask Hermione and Ron if they had similar issues."

"Agreed. But it could also be side of effects of my dementia when I was older. We know some parts of the brain rotted away before old age caught up with me." Ginny said quietly.

"Hey baby, we'll both be fine. Hermione and I already started working on the cures for a number of current diseases, including ours. Ok?" Harry said.

Ginny nodded and enjoyed Harry's magic fingers massaging her ass for a while. She knew that she wanted Harry to nail her hard and fast soon, but did not like the idea of being a mum to James at age 12 so they both agreed to wait on the sex for a while.

"The one thing I still do not understand is why you took control of the Greengrass finances?" Ginny asked.

"Well, when Daphne realized what happened, she was embarrassed to say the least."

"That's putting it mildly." Ginny said.

"She offered me the only thing she had that I would accept from her, her title and family assets. She said a debt needed to be paid. I told her that I would accept them on one condition that she needed to find love again." Harry said retelling the story Ginny had been there for.

"And that is when she left for her world tour." Ginny said happily, remembering more of Daphne's time with them.

Harry smiled "Yep. She was gone for five years. In that time I had my Managers get the Greengrass Portfolio straightened out and profitable. Daphne never had the education to deal with such a complex estate, which I told Hermione and Ron earlier."

"In many ways the Greengrass Estate is more complex than the Gryffindor Estate, which is saying something." Ginny said as the memories came storming back to her.

"Yeah and Adam was no help as he never managed anything larger than his checkbook." Harry added. "When she returned married to Mark, I wanted to hand control back to her, but she made a better offer."

"The splitting of the assets" Ginny said.

"The Greengrass name was still tainted in Europe, so it made sense for us to manage that part." Harry said. He then summoned a cold soda and leaned back into his chair, holding his wife to his chest.

"You're not going to sleep with her again are you?" Ginny asked after a long silence.

"No, unless you want to; I mean, she got really hot about our 5th year." Harry said with a smirk. Seeing Ginny raise her hands to cast a rather painful spell, Harry backpedaled. "Sorry Ginny, it was a joke. No. I do not want to sleep with her. Yes I am going to help her though. Some of the wards we raised around the castle are designed to burn out foreign magics, including magical blocks. It is something Hermione designed when I became ill, thinking that was what was affecting me. Also, I want her to get with her true love, Blaise Zabini."

"Zabini, really? I thought he was dark?"

"Nope. Neutral. He was killed in the final battle protecting Daphne. She never did get over it." Harry said.

"She is also the reason why we are going to have classes on Estate Management and on the Wizengamot." Harry said.

"I always knew I loved you for a reason." Ginny said as she kissed her husband.

The couple talked for another hour before closing up the house and retired to bed. Here they curled up and enjoyed being close together, hearing the waves.

Meanwhile in London, Sirius Black was just waking up from one of the few peaceful nights of sleep he had gotten since he was freed from Azkaban. Realizing he slept through the night, he knew it was because of the warm body next to him that was still asleep. She seemed to drive all of his nightmares away when she was nearby. Sirius laughed out loud, waking up the puppy that had been curled up next to him all night.

"You know, when Harry suggested I get a pet, I thought he was kidding. But after having you, I realized he's right." Sirius said to the Sheppard-Grimm mix puppy he got for his birthday a couple weeks ago from his godson. Lucy had taken to Sirius immediately and never left his side. She had taken a liking to Padfoot as well when Sirius transformed and helped to remind Sirius how much fun his other form could have.

Lucy nuzzled Sirius with her cold nose before she barked and wagged her tail before jumping off the bed and heading for the bathroom door that had been left open by the occupant who had also been in bed with Sirius.

"LUCY! YOUR NOSE IS COLD!" Amelia screamed from the bathroom. Lucy must have decided 'Mommy' needed some loving as well.

"Good girl." Sirius said as he got out of bed and made his way to bathroom to get ready for the day. Since his release, Sirius was getting up early and working hard to get back into shape to go back to work as an Auror. Today, 28 days after he escaped, he was scheduled to take his Auror Qualifiers to get back to active duty; after kissing his newly termed girlfriend good morning, repeatedly.

"Good morning sweetheart. How did you sleep?" Sirius asked.

"I was a little cold. Someone decided she wanted to curl up with you instead of me." Amelia said as she looked in the mirror at Lucy who was sitting at the bathroom door with her tongue hanging out.

"She needs to learn to share, and not eat my favorite shoes anymore as well" agreed Sirius. Lucy looked up and whined and placed her front paws on her nose.

"Aw Sirius, she is still just a puppy." Amelia said, working on her hair.

"She's gotten used to being in bed with me alone." Sirius said as he started to brush his teeth in the second sink in the bathroom.

"And you think I like sleeping by myself?"

"You can fix that dear." Sirius said.

"In time" Amelia said sweetly. "Once you get your qualifier done, come up to my office for lunch. I want you to join the meeting I am going to have with Barty, Rufus, Arthur, and Kingsley."

Sirius sighed, he knew Amelia wanted him to work with these men, and for the most part that was not a problem. The only problem was with Barty Crouch. Crouch was the man who ordered him sent to Azkaban, and yet he let his son go free. Yeah, Sirius had issues with that.

As if reading his mind, Amelia crossed over to her boyfriend and kissed him, toothpaste still in his mouth, before speaking. "I want you at this meeting because I am going to throw the book at Barty. He is going to be restricted highly, but until I get someone else I trust, he is going to be running the Department of International Cooperation; unless I could convince a certain Lord of the Wizengamot to accept it?"

"Me? Amelia, sweetheart, I love you, but I don't think so. I have no experience in international affairs." Sirius said.

"I wasn't thinking about you. I was thinking about Lord Greengrass."

"George Greengrass?"

Amelia nodded.

"He was in your year in Slytherin, correct?" Amelia nodded.

"And his family business deals with a lot of international trade." Amelia said. "And he his family had always been neutral. And because when he applied to the Ministry, he worked in that office until Barty forced him out."

"I'm sold." Sirius said. "What is on your agenda for the morning then?"

"I have a meeting with the Prime Minister and the Privy Council. We're discussing what we can do regarding the terrorists we apprehended last week." Amelia said. "In fact I have ten minutes to get to that meeting. See you at lunch." And with that Amelia took off for the day.

Sirius nodded, finished his morning bathroom ritual and then headed for the gymnasium that was in the basement of Lionfire Hall for two hours of training, like he had every day since Harry had returned from the future. He knew Remus would be there already, as normal, so he bypassed the breakfast area and headed down, Lucy trailing behind.

At Hogwarts, Minerva McGonagall was taking breakfast on her private balcony. Her balcony overlooked the quidditch pitch, which was why she chose these chambers years ago when she first started teaching at Hogwarts. That and it was just down the hall from Gryffindor Tower. Minerva loved the morning, it was the only time she could be alone and think. This morning she needed this time more than any other time in recent memory.

Her first thoughts were on Harry Potter and his surprising coming out party. Minerva knew there was more to the story she was given regarding the Flamels mentoring Harry and Hermione Lupin. Minerva shuddered at the thought that the Marauders had indeed reproduced. _At least Sirius has not had children._ Minerva thought, then felt ashamed as she knew why Sirius and Amelia did not have their children.

Her other thoughts were on her long time mentor, turned friend, turned unrequited love-Albus Dumbledore. Yes indeed, she knew she loved Albus; she had since she first began to work on her Mastery under him, but he had never returned her affections, until recently. No, the reason why she needed this time this morning to think was because of Albus and his recent change in attitude towards her.

It started with a when she attended a party thrown by the Dowager Longbottom. This was the first party at Longbottom Manor in many years. As Chief Warlock, Albus was expected to attend, normally with a date. Minerva usually went with Albus to these functions to give him someone to talk to. Albus had asked her to be his date back in the 1950's with the Sovereign's Coronation. Since then she had been the go to gal for Albus. So when the invitation came in, Minerva thought nothing about it until the day of the party when a grinning Poppy Pomfrey dragged Minerva to Paris for new robes at Albus' request.

That evening at the party, Albus danced with Minerva more often than usual and held her completely differently as well. At the end of the evening Albus escorted her back to her quarters where he kissed her cheek and left to his own quarters.

Since then Albus had surprised her with breakfast and lunches, walks around the castle and grounds, and talks. Oh the talks she had with the man! He talked to her about his younger years and his sister Ariana as well as the times he had with his brother before his father was sent to Azkaban and his mother dying. They talked about their walkabouts they took after Hogwarts and also about Transfiguration. Minerva knew that Albus had forgotten more about the subject then she could ever hope to learn in a thousand lifetimes.

Albus also talked to about long held secrets he had about the wars and the mistakes he made. Then last night, she spoke about the biggest mistakes he made: Not killing Gellert, not keeping an eye on Tom Riddle, and Harry Potter. She learned the truth about Gellert, and what he did to Albus when they were boys, that made her want to kill Gellert herself. She also learned about Tom Riddle's past and who he turned into which shocked Minerva more than anything else until she learned the truth about Harry's living conditions until Nicholas found him. She was so incensed that she cursed Albus repeatedly for ten minutes before returning him to his human form, though he was much redder in the face. Finally at the end of this confession, Albus turned around and stared at his best friend and dropped the biggest bombshell._ "Minerva, you have been my student, my apprentice, and my friend. I wish for you to become my lover and one day my wife because I love you Minerva. Even while I was suffering from Gellert's spells and potions, I knew I loved you, I could never tell you that though. If you feel the same way, then I shall see you at breakfast tomorrow."_ And with that, Albus disappeared in flames, courtesy of Fawkes.

The question was what did she want? _To be happy you twit. _Did she want a relationship with Albus? _I've had a relationship with Albus for years. We would only be adding to it. _Did he want children? _I have no idea. _Did she? _Yes. But I am too old now. What did old witches and wizards who were married do anyway? _What were they going to do? _I need to speak to Albus first._

After taking a few deep breaths, Minerva knew what she wanted. She wanted Albus. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. With that in mind she stepped into her sitting room, surprised to see Albus Dumbledore cooking in her kitchenette. Albus had not spotted her and it gave her a chance to look at him. He was wearing modern mundane clothing for the first time in her presence. He was wearing navy blue slacks, a white long sleeve shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and black dragon-hide boots. He was humming a tune while expertly flipping fried eggs. He placed the freshly flipped eggs on plates that were on the countertop which already had bacon, sausages and waffles. Albus then used some wandless magic and sent the plates to the table Minerva was standing by.

Albus washed his hands before turning around. Minerva could not help laughing at the Albus, with his long gray beard tucked neatly behind his _Kiss the Cook _apron. Seeing Minerva for the first time, Albus blushed to his roots.

"Sorry for barging in. But Harry and Ginny have gotten me hooked on cooking lately and I wanted to cook for you." Albus admitted.

Minerva crossed over to Albus and took his hand in hers and kissed his cheek. "It is alright Albus. It is a very romantic gesture on your part."

"I do not mean to pressure—" Albus started but was cut off by Minerva pulling Albus down into a very passionate kiss.

_He kisses better than I thought._ Minerva thought as she heard small fireworks going off over their heads. She opened her eyes and broke the kiss and saw that their kiss had indeed set off fireworks. That mad her relax and laugh more than anything else in the last hundred years.

"Sorry dear. Since I have been out from under Gellert's influence, my magic has been…funny." Albus stated, though he still held Minerva in his arms.

"What do you mean funny?"

"My magic has seemed to have developed a sense of humor. When I am depressed, small storm clouds appear above my head and follow me, occasionally dropping rain on me. When I am angry, thunder clouds and lightning with hail, and it seems like when I am deliriously happy we have fireworks."

"It's not your magic Albus. It's a spell that Lily Evans and Remus Lupin came up with for their Seventh Year Charms Class." Minerva said with a laugh.

"It must have been Harry then." Albus said with a laugh.

"Or Hermione; I get the feeling she has a pranking side, much like her father."

"And how would you know about this spell?" Albus asked.

Minerva blushed. "I might have given them the idea." Albus laughed and then watched as Minerva used the counterspell to remove the spell. "Now, let's eat. I'm famished."

Together the two of them ate, holding hands and smiling more than anyone really should. They kept their conversation light and away from them for the time being. Finally when neither of them could eat another bite, Minerva banished the dirty dishes to her kitchenette where one of the house elves popped in and began to clean them as Albus led Minerva out to her balcony.

Once out there, Minerva spoke. "We have a relationship already Albus. We have for years. But I want to add a romantic part to it."

Albus smiled. "As do I. Let us take off for the day. Go and change into some comfortable mundane clothing. We are going to Hyde Park." Albus said.

Minerva smiled and with a wave of her wand her normal clothing was changed into modern mundane clothing that was complimentary to Albus'. Once done, Albus wrapped his arms around Minerva and apparated through the wards.

They appeared in a secluded area of Hyde Park that had been warded years ago to allow Magicals to appear without Mundanes noticing. Dropping a knut in a small pot, Albus smiled at her girlfriend. "It is not a free apparition point." Albus explained.

Many of the apparition points throughout England were free, as the Ministry regulated the use of apparition; they felt like it was part of their duty to their citizens.

"The Ministry considered putting one here to be unwarranted, unneeded, and most of all unwise as no self-respectful witch or wizard would want to be anywhere near muggles. A First Generation Wizard had the bright idea of buying this location and setting it up. There is no set fee, but donations are encouraged."

"Amazing. Who renews the wards?" Minerva asked.

"You can detect magic, why don't you reach out and see for yourself?"

Minerva removed her wand and after a number of waves, she conjured an image consisting of lines, like a graph. It was a pictorial representation of the magic contained within the wards and enchantments around them. After shifting and removing various lines, Minerva began to sort through the remaining lines, seeing the magical signature of dozens of people who have used the point and who had renewed the wards.

"Bill Weasley, Arthur Weasley quite a bit, Simon Burke class of '73, and Charlotte O'Leary class of '81. The others are too faint for me read." Minerva said.

"I am impressed. Who taught you how to read wards like that?" Albus asked.

"I attended International Symposium on Transfiguration two years ago in Stockholm."

"I remember, I was tied down here with Cornelius and his absurd request to hunt down fairies."

"Yes, anyway I had an extra opening in my schedule one day and sat in a theory class taught by Michael O'Connor from Gringotts, who was William Weasley's mentor. He taught us this way, as it more informative."

"Very interesting." Albus said.

"So where shall we go today Albus?" Minerva asked, really wanting to get on with this date.

"Where ever we decide we want to go my dear. I was thinking about taking a stroll thru the rose gardens firs though."

"It sounds wonderful." Minerva said as Albus led her away into a new future.


	17. Chapter 16: Sirius Black's Mark

Chapter 16: Sirius Black's Mark

August 28th, 1991

Office of the Head Auror

Department of Magical Law Enforcement

Ministry for Magic of Great Britain

"Sirius Orion Black, your Auror Qualifying Exams are complete. I must say, I am impressed. Your scores are extremely high. In fact these scores are even higher than your first scores when you first joined the Corps." Kingsley said.

"Thank you Auror Shacklebolt." Sirius said. "I had tried to keep myself in the best shape I could while I was away, but you know how the accommodations are in Azkaban."

"I hear the gym there sucks." Kingsley said with a straight face.

"To say nothing about the depressing atmosphere there" Sirius finished while laughing, but Kingsley noticed the laughter did not make it to his eyes. He decided to leave that can of worms for another day. Hell Sirius had not even been out of Azkaban a month yet and here he was becoming an Auror, again.

"Sirius Orion Black, based on your scores and your well documented record as an Auror, I hereby qualify you as an Auror, Senior Grade, Level 5. You have also qualified as a Hit Wizard, Level 5. You are one of a very few people in the Ministry who are dual qualified. Here is your badge and your credentials." Kingsley said as he handed Sirius his new badge and ID which then disappeared and became a part of him.

"When do I go back out on duty?" Sirius asked. He wanted to stay active because an active mind would not let the nightmares take hold. Lucy and Amy could only be with him so long during the day.

"It won't be for a while yet." Kingsley said stiffly.

"Why not?"

"You still need to pass your session with the Mind Healer." Kingsley said.

"Already did."

"No. You didn't. The Mind Healer gave you clean bill of health to allow you to train and qualify; he did not give you the clearance to go back to Active Duty, yet." Kingsley said.

"Oh. Brad thinks I need more sessions?" Sirius asked quietly.

"Brad and the Chief of Staff for Saint Mungo's. Sirius, you spent a decade in hell on earth, before that you found James & Lily's dead bodies. You never dealt with any of this. To say nothing about breaking out of Azkaban less than a month ago."

"I'm dealing with it just fine." Sirius said defensively.

"You're full of crap Sirius. Harry, Remus, & Amelia all said you are not fit for duty. Now listen to what I am offering you before you say something you'll regret." Kingsley opened Sirius' file. "Here are Brad's instructions. You will follow them to the letter. _'In the event the Sirius Black passes his qualifiers, which I have no doubt he will, I cannot clear him for active duty, yet. The time spent in Azkaban and the death of his best-friend and brother along with his wife has never been resolved. Follow up sessions are required.'_ That was dated three days after you were cleared."

"But that's been 2 weeks ago!" Sirius said.

"I know. Listen to Brad's final report. _'Since my last official report, the patient has made remarkable strides. In our sessions Sirius has learned that it was not his fault that the Potters were murdered, it was the fault of Peter Pettigrew._

_It is my recommendation that Sirius undergo one finally session with me after his qualifications test so that I can help him temper his ego when he breaks all the records.'"_

"That's great. So is Brad on vacation, is that why I am not active yet?" Sirius asked.

"That is not the main reason. You are not active because no one wants to partner with you." Kingsley admitted as he sat down in his chair heavily.

"What do you mean King?" Sirius asked, clearly gobsmacked.

"Merlin Sirius! Are you really that stupid?" Kingsley said from his seat. "When you were partnered with James you made a lot of enemies in the department, the friends you did make are either dead, retired, or can't protect you from everyone you pissed off."

"Which camp do you fall into?" Sirius asked angrily.

"I'm your friend Sirius, I have been damn near as long you and James were. I have been since we were at Hogwarts. But there are too many people upset with you right now for me to help you. James and you were both protected because of Charles Potter's legacy back in the day. But that is no longer the case. James will always be hailed as a hero so no one will talk bad at him in public. And I'll kick anyone's ass who says it around me, period. But you are a different story. You were sent to Azkaban, escaped and still have not told anyone how you did it, then was pardoned when the new Lord Protector of the Realm, your godson, revealed himself. After that everyone finds out that you have started sleeping with the new minister, formerly the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. You're everyone's favorite target."

"Dawlish is one of the ones who is talking shit, isn't he? He's always been a jealous asshole."

"It doesn't matter Sirius. What I'm trying to tell you is that you're too hot work in the department right now." Kingsley said. "And don't tell me that you don't care. So do your session with Brad and then take some of the vacation time you've incurred while you were checking out Azkaban."

"Piss off Kingsley. I want to feel normal again. Hell put me on desk duty. I can work on the Azkaban report I know you want me to write." Sirius said.

Kingsley laughed in Sirius' face at that. "You on desk duty? That would last ten minutes, tops. No Sirius. Why don't you spend in the Wizengamot?"

Sirius shook his head. "I thought about that too. Wizengamot does not open session for over a month and Harry and I spent a lot of time going over everything there already. He's an insomniac like I am."

"Then go and spend with your girlfriend. Maybe try to take her away for a few days. I know she wanted to see you after your qualifiers anyway. And watch what the hell you say in that meeting, I'll be there and I have no problems rescinding your status."

"Piss of Shacklebolt." Sirius said, already pissed at the world.

"You're a hot head Black, in case you've forgotten, that is what led you to spend time in Azkaban and to Amelia not telling you about—"

Kingsley realized what he was going to say and shut up, but not before he got Sirius' undivided attention.

"What is Amelia not telling me?!" Sirius demanded.

"Nothing Sirius."

"Bullshit." With a snap of his fingers Sirius sealed the room and petrified Kingsley in his chair, it was some wandless magic Harry had been working with him on during their nights of insomnia.

"What is the love of my life not telling me that she told you?" Sirius asked as he rose from his chair and for the first time Kingsley saw Sirius as the Black of Black, Lord of one oldest of the Ancient and Most Noble Houses in England. To say nothing about the fact that the Head of that House was always known to be ruthless.

"Sirius. You need to talk to her." Kingsley said softly. "You've both my friends for the better part of twenty years, so please understand what I am going to tell you. The conversation you need to have with her is not with the Minister, but with your woman. Be professional today in the meeting, and tonight have it out with her. Get her pissed off at your Sirius. It is the only way she'll reveal the truth to you. It is that big."

"What is it?"

"Sirius, I gave Amelia my word." Kingsley said. Sirius knew that when Kingsley gave his word it was law. It was just like an unbreakable vow. "Take some time to deal with this and meet with Brad. Once he signs off, I'll clear you for active duty and turn a blind eye to when you deal with the pricks in the department. If that means you run without a partner, then so be it."

Sirius simply nodded, turned on his heel and walked through where the door was supposed to be. Once he was out of the room Kingsley was freed from the spell. "Fucking hell Sirius, you've gotten pretty damn powerful." He said to the empty room. Ten seconds later Sirius time delayed spell activated making the entire room look like a cotton candy machine exploded inside of it. Kingsley sighed, called for housecleaning, and then left his office in order to have a chat with his Aurors before getting to his meeting with the Minister late. And a fresh change of robes as well.

_Maybe I should play hooky from this meeting. There has to be some Death Eater somewhere for me to deal with!_

After exiting Kingsley's office, Sirius headed to the locker room. He knew that if Amelia wanted him in this particular meeting, then he needed to look the part. Upon entering he called for Kreacher and told him to prepare his best family robes. Kreacher nodded and popped away while Sirius showered and began to change.

Fifteen minutes later, Kreacher had returned and was making final adjustments to his Master. Seeing his Master looking like Lord Black made a profound change in Kreacher. One that he voiced. "You truly is the Black of Black, Master."

Sirius turned and stared at Kreacher. "Thank you Kreacher. That means a lot to me." Sirius, who remembered a conversation he had with Harry after first dealing with Kreacher got down on his knees. "Kreacher, I know that you and I have never gotten along very well. But that must stop. I am the Black of Black, Lord and Master of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. I may not do everything my parents would like, but I am doing what I feel is best for our family."

"Does Master wish to punish Kreacher for Kreacher speak out of turn?" Kreacher asked.

"No Kreacher. It is one of the things that I wish to change. Do you wish to serve?"

"Kreacher has never been asked if Kreacher wishes to serve. Kreacher serves the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black until the end of Kreacher's life."

"Very well Kreacher. From this day forward, you Kreacher, are hereby a member of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, not just a servant. From this day forward, you are to never hurt yourself again because you think you have misbehaved, and you are to never use the foul language that you learned from my ancestors. So mote it be." Sirius said.

The wording Sirius used was strange and did something he did not expect. Magic recognized Kreacher not as a servant of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, but as an adopted member. Kreacher was infused with Black Family Magic that purged the Dark Magic Kreacher had been exposed to all his life. The effect was a very different looking and much more powerful Kreacher.

"I am free Lord Black." Kreacher said.

Sirius smiled. "Yes you are. You are a free member of our family."

"I wish to return to my duties Mi Lord." Kreacher said.

"Denied. Kreacher, I hereby appoint you as my Personal Elf and Head Elf of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. Hire some help to take over your existing duties. I want all of the Black Properties cleaned and ready to be used."

"It shall be done Mi Lord." And with that, Kreacher popped away and Sirius headed to meet with the Minister.

As Sirius walked, his cape, which has been the mark of honor for the Black of Black for three centuries, billowed out behind him making him look like a Dark Lord named Vader. Hallways cleared for Lord Black quicker than if Voldemort himself was walking through the halls. Many of the muggleborns and halfbloods who came across him all thought the only thing the Black of Black was missing was the mask and the deep breathing noises.

Sirius, having seen the movie, did nothing to stop people's comparisons between himself and Vader as it made people get out of the way quickly. As he approached the lifts, Sirius quickly stomped down the idea of conjuring the Darth Vader mask to complete the look. He did however use some of the wandless magic he knew and summoned the elevator from across the hallway, never breaking his stride. No one bothered to enter the elevator with him.

As the lift opened on the Minister's Floor, Sirius strode out of the lift and towards Amelia's office where the meeting was already underway. Amelia's secretary Bonnie saw him approaching with an intense look on his face. She quickly and efficiently banished the folder that Sirius would need at him and opened the doors to the Minister's Inner Office. Sirius never broke stride, but did smile at the young woman as stepped into the room.

"My apologies for being tardy, Head Auror Shacklebolt and I were in a meeting. I am surprised I beat him here." Sirius said as he sat down in one of the chairs around the conference table.

"It is alright Lord Black, or should I call you Auror Black?" Amelia asked.

"I have passed my qualifiers, but I am not back on active duty yet. The Lord Protector is still the Acting Head of Ancient and Most Noble House of Black due to my time in Azkaban, but I still retain my title, you may call me Lord Black." Sirius said while looking at Barty Crouch Sr.; the look he gave Crouch expressed that if Sirius had his way, Barty Crouch would be a dead man.

"Very well Lord Black." Amelia said as Kingsley entered the room quietly.

"My apologies, I had to deal with a few personnel issues." Kingsley said.

"It's fine Auror Shacklebolt. We were just getting started." Amelia said before turning to the group at large.

"Ok everyone, now that we have all been very nice each other, let's get down to business." Amelia said. "Arthur, how are your departments?"

"Up and running. The new office space is causing us to be more efficient and open better communication channels between departments."

"Kingsley, how are the Aurors?" Amelia asked.

"I've had an issue with some of the boys and girls not liking the idea of being partnered with a former resident of Azkaban." Kingsley said.

Rufus shook his head. "Sorry Lord Black. As soon as you were cleared I gave very specific orders sent out to all Aurors, Hit Wizards, and members of the DMLE about you being innocent and any issues they had with that fact needed to be brought to me. The Director countersigned them as well as the Commandant of the Auror Academy. Everyone knew these orders Lord Black."

"Rufus, Arthur, Kingsley, deal with this mess once and for all. And get Moody in on it too. He took the Commandant position." Amelia ordered.

All three men nodded. They knew this was more than business, and more than personal. This was justice; justice for people like Sirius who had been denied the basic rights that were given to all men and women in England more than a century before. It was a project Rufus was handling for Amelia with help from a team of Clerks from the Supreme Court of Great Britain. Rufus was astounded that there had been so many people set free and so many others tossed into jail and Azkaban without any trial.

"Now what should we do with the man who threw Lord Black into Azkaban in the first place?" Amelia asked the table, but was looking directly at Crouch.

"Minister Bagnold—" Crouch began but was cut off not by the Minister or Lord Black, but by the Deputy Minister of Magic slamming his fists into the table as he jumped to his feet.

"BULLSHIT YOU WORM! YOU'RE NOT GETTING OFF THAT EASY! YOU WERE THE ONE WHO THREW AN INNOCENT MAN INTO HELL! NOT TO MENTION THIS INNOCENT MAN WAS HEIR APPARENT TO ONE OF THE ANCIENT AND MOST NOBLE HOUSES! THEN YOU SAVED YOUR OWN GODDAMN SON WHEN HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN KISSED!"

Arthur reached out and grabbed Crouch and threw him to the ground, his wand trained right between Barty's eyes so quick that no one could even move.

"And what about all the others who were denied due process? How many of them were your enemies I wonder?" Rufus said.

"Who got you off Barty?" Arthur demanded "Who made sure you weren't sent to prison for breaking your Death Eater out of prison? Tell me. TELL ME!"

"It was for services rendered Weasley!" Crouch finally yelled. "Bagnold made sure me, her, and a few others had a _Get Out Of Jail Free _card. Had the Wizengamot approve them years ago, before Dumbledore became Chief Warlock. She knew she would have to make the tough decisions and wanted her ass protected when the do gooders took control. I've collected everyone else's over the years except Bagnold's. The old bitty refused to use hand it over, even after she retired and could no longer be held liable."

"It's not working this time." Sirius said.

"Oh yes it is yes Black. The cards are magically binding. I've got every angle possible covered. I can't even be fired by your girlfriend." Crouch said with a smile.

Amelia gave Barty a look that would cause a basilisk to die. "They were magically binding with the Ministry of Magic; however, the Queen dissolved the Ministry of Magic and formed the Ministry for Magic when her proclamations were announced at the Lord Protector's coming out party. Your cards are not even worth the paper they are printed on."

"WHAT!"

"And I am sure that Lord Black would love to declare a Blood Feud with your family. How long do you think you would last in a duel with a Level 5 Senior Grade Auror who is also a Level 5 Hit Wizard?" Kingsley asked "To say nothing about Arthur here or myself removing pieces of you as payment for all those you locked up."

"One of those people who were tossed right into a cell to rot without a trial was my Uncle Aiden. If you could somehow get past Lord Black's Blood Feud, do you really think you could survive the Weasley Family's?" Arthur demanded.

"And let's not forget that the Ancient and Most Noble House of Scrimgeour would be honored to aid these noble houses with retribution on your house. We have spells that will cause you to take days to die." Rufus said.

Crouch looked at Amelia, knowing a deal could be made with her. She was a politician after all. Nowhere near the caliber he was of course, but still a politician. Barty also noticed Lord Black had remained extremely calm the whole time. That worried him as Black had been known to be a hot head. If he was calm and collected, that meant he was planning something. Best get the deal and get out of the room. "What's your proposal Minister?"

"There is no proposal. You're going down Barty." Amelia said.

"There is always a deal!" Barty said from the floor, his pompous attitude returning. "This is what happens when an inexperienced woman is handed control by a child." Crouch mutters under his breath. This got to Sirius and he finally rose from his seat and placed his boot on Crouch throat as Arthur backed away when he saw the expression on Sirius' face.

"Listen here you piece of shit. Our sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II ordered you be tried by the Supreme Court of Great Britain before Amelia was named Minister as you are the only person left in the Ministry Leadership from Bagnold's time in office. You are going to stand trial and be tossed into the same cell your son was in. Only this time, you'll be placed there with magical suppressors all around to prevent you from using any magic to protect you. As you lay in the cell, with no magic, you'll be thinking about the fact that the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black has declared a Blood Feud with your family on this day. When you finally get out, and you will get out one day, I'll be standing there on the dock with the appropriate Auror witnesses, and Lords of five of the Ancient and Most Noble Houses so that I can settle this blood feud and tear you apart piece by piece in a duel to the death."

Sirius then turned and left the room without another word. Amelia, who looked shocked at how fast Sirius moved and how calm he said, spoke. "Needless to say Barty, your days working in the Ministry are over. How you go out is your choice. Rufus, Kingsley, arrest him and escort him to the holding cells for the High Court."

Both men nodded and picked Crouch up and walked him out of the office and to the High Court's holding cells. The problem would be that there was a long walk between the apparition point they would use and the wards around the High Court's building. Arthur knew that Barty stood a good chance at being dead by the end of the day because of this and that fact that the goblins had placed a bounty on Crouch's head for high crimes against the Goblin Nation and the Crown. Every freelance hit-wizard, bounty hunter, and mercenary in country would be trying to collect on the substantial bounty. The benefit of the goblins placing the bounty was that whoever collected was given immunity for the deed. Bill & Charlie had talked about this fact for two hours the other night. They decided not to pursue it because Charlie realized how hard it would be to get a dragon in England in time.

"Sirius is furious with me." Amelia said, pulling Arthur out of his thoughts.

Arthur looked at the Minister saw the worry lines on her face and the stress she was carrying. Neither was healthy for her.

"Why?"

"Partially about what we were going to do to Barty, but also because I told Kingsley not to put him on active duty yet."

"Why?"

"Sirius wants Crouch dead. Not that I can blame him. Barty cost us so many years together." Amelia said.

"You need to protect Sirius from himself." Arthur said.

"Hence why Kingsley did me a favor and did not place Sirius on active duty. Sirius needs time to adjust to being free, not having James and Lily, raising Harry, and being a father." Amelia said.

"Amelia, what do you mean 'raising Harry, and being a father'? Aren't they the same thing?" Arthur asked.

'_SHIT!' _Amelia said to herself. _'Oh well. Arthur needs to know anyway.'_

"Because he's a father Arthur; and he has no idea." Amelia admitted.

"Why didn't you tell me about this the night I had to bare my soul to you? I thought we were going to honest with each other?" Arthur asked.

"Because the only other person alive who knows is Kingsley; I thought Sirius betrayed all of us for years. Then one day he is innocent. I was floored. I still can't believe he's back with us. Less than a month and he is healthier than I have ever seen him. I know a lot of that is your wife's cooking and whatever potions the Flamels are pumping into him, but Merlin Arthur, he rated as a Level 5 Auror _**AND**_ Level 5 Hit Wizard. He was only rated a level 3 Auror when he was sent to hell."

Arthur stood behind his chair and spoke in a voice that made Amelia shiver. "Amelia, as your Deputy, I understand why you have not told him. However, as a father, I know one thing. You need to tell him, and soon."

"We were going to celebrate tonight and then tell him the news then." Amelia defended.

"Do you have anything else you need to deal with today?" Arthur asked, making a decision.

"We need someone to run the Department of International Cooperation. That needs to be dealt with today." Amelia said.

"Do you still want George Greengrass?"

"Yes."

"Good because George is coming in to meet with me this afternoon. I'll handle that. What else?"

"The notes from the meeting with the Prime Minister and the Privy Council; there are several things that need to be dissimilated to other department heads. One of the big things is how the Auror Cadets will work with Scotland Yard's trainers during their 4 weeks with them."

"Leave me Bonnie. She can get the notes translated into memos and other correspondence and get them sent out. She can also run your office for the day while Amy and I take care of everything else." Arthur said. "Go home and talk to Sirius."

"Let me finish this paperwork and I'll be gone in two hours." Amelia said. Arthur nodded and left her to it.

After walking out the door of Amelia's office, Sirius used the private floo in Amelia's outer office to get away. He need to get to away from Crouch, and truth of the matter is, he wanted away from Amelia too. Sirius knew when Amelia asked him how he was to be addressed that she told Kingsley not to put Sirius on Active Duty.

He loved Amelia deeply, but could not understand why she did that. Did she not understand the only things keeping him sane were getting back to Active Duty, Harry, and her?

'_No dumbass. You never told her.'_ Sirius said to himself.

"Gringotts!" Sirius said before stepping into the floo. He emerged from the main floo in the lobby of the bank. Sirius immediately made his way to a teller who was free.

"Lord Sirius Black to see his account manager" Sirius said.

"Lord Gryffindor has recently changed the manager of the Black Family. It is now Griphook." The Teller said.

"I know Teller Ironband. I approve of this change as well." Sirius said to the teller.

The teller left his desk, only to return a few minutes later. "Griphook will see you now Lord Black. Please follow me."

Sirius followed Teller Ironband back through the maze of doors and corridors that made the back of the bank until they reached Griphook's new office. After knocking, Ironband escorted Sirius inside.

"Thank you Ironband." Griphook said. Ironband nodded and left.

"Lord Sirius. I was not expecting to see you. I was under the assumption Lord Gryffindor was still acting head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black." Griphook said.

"He is. I have other business I need to attend to. I have passed my qualifiers for Aurors and Hitwizards. I am now a Level 5 Auror and Level 5 Hitwizard. Even thogh I am not on Active Duty yet, I want to make sure my will is updated. I also wish to call a Blood Feud between my house and the Ancient Most House of Crouch."

"Well then Lord Sirius we have much work to do." Griphook said.

Turns out Harry had already taken care of most of the paperwork. The Blood Feud was filed already; it only needed the signature of Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. Sirius was astonished to find that Harry had also decreed that Sirius would become the Black of Black and assumes control of the Black Family finances in the eyes of the Ministry and Gringotts after he passed his Auror qualifiers.

With the paperwork signed, and the quick version of the Inheritance Ritual, Sirius was installed as the Black of Black. As the magic settled within his core, Sirius felt connected to the Black Family Magic in ways he never did before. He also felt all of the wards and protections around his family properties. He could tell exactly what wards were activated and what their purpose was.

After making sure the family finances were order, Sirius made to leave Gringotts, but was stopped by Griphook.

"Lord Black, you must claim your place as the Black of Black before you floo anywhere. The floo network has already begun to destabilize."

"The ancestral home in London still stands, I'll go there. Thank you Griphook." Sirius said as floo'd to 12 Grimmauld Place. The floo ride was rougher than he ever remembered. As soon he stopped in the fireplace, Sirius quickly calmed his sour stomach and headed up to the main floor of the house where he would claim 12 Grimmauld Place as the Black of Black.

The Black Family as a member of the Council of Twelve were charged with keeping the floo network for Great Britain up and running. The main control stone for the floo network was stored in Department of Mysteries but the family magics of the Council of Twelve are what powered and kept the network operating. Being the new Black of Black, Sirius had to claim one of his family properties in order for the floo network to work properly. Members of the Council of Twelve, the Auror Corps, and certain other individuals could override the normal operation of the floo network. Without a lord claiming their right, the floo network would not be able to recognize these people and allow them access to restricted fire places. It would also cause the magic of the floo network to shift and floo like a river, delivering people to the wrong locations or even kill them as they exited into a wall.

After claiming Grimmauld Place, Sirius decided to look around the house. Kreacher had been redecorating and cleaning the house for the past month and it looked really good. After inspecting most of the floors, Sirius climbed to the top floor where his old room was as well as the Master Suite. Opening the door to his old room, Sirius saw that is was bare. There were not even dust bunnies in it.

"Kreacher!" Sirius yelled.

"Yes Mi Lord." Kreacher said after he popped into existence.

"What the hell happened to my room?"

"You are the Black of Black. You now live in the Master Suite. Kreacher has moved your items to the new room."

"And my parents items?" Sirius asked.

Kreacher took a breath and sighed. "Many of the items Kreacher destroyed as they were dark and evil. Kreacher also purchased new furniture and beddings. Heirlooms were placed in the vault here; other items were placed in storage in the basement next to the dungeons."

"Can I see it?"

"Of course Lord Black" Sirius crossed to the door that as a child he was never allowed to open. He opened the door and stepped into what was now his suite. The first thing he noticed was that the colors were a perfect blending of the Gryffindor Gold & Red and the Slytherin Silver & Green. Each room of the suite had a different paint style and theme. This theme continued with the furniture, the draperies, and the artwork throughout the suite.

"Kreacher this is amazing." Sirius said.

"Thank you Mi Lord. After we reached our understanding, Kreacher knew exactly how to finish your suite. Kreacher must state that some of the walls be not dry yet."

"Understood Kreacher. You understand that I may not live here, especially if things work out with Amelia?" Sirius said as he sat down in one of the chairs by the fireplace in the sitting room. He motioned for Kreacher to the same.

"Kreacher understands. Kreacher understands that Bones Manor and Griffin Den would be better for Lady Bones and Miss Black-Bones to live in with you. Kreacher only wishes to prepare this home for when Lady Bones is angry with you."

"Kreacher, who are calling Miss Black-Bones?"

"Mi Lord's daughter Susan. She is born from two noble lines." Kreacher said.

"Kreacher, she is Amelia's niece. I have no children." Sirius said.

"Forgive Kreacher Mi Lord, but that is not true. Kreacher's elf family had many abilities. Dark families be liking these abilities. One of these abilities is to see magics. Kreacher sees Miss Susan's magics. Miss Susan bes a Black and a Bones. She is also more Bones." Kreacher said.

"That makes no sense." Sirius said.

"Kreacher cannot explain better. But Kreacher knows that Miss Susan bes your daughter and Lady Bones'. Maybe goblins can help Mi Lord understand."

Sirius thought about some of the forms he signed at the bank for a moment before dismissing that thought. "I'll talk to Amelia about it tonight. If she still has no idea, we'll go to the goblins tomorrow. In the meantime keep up the good work Kreacher; I'm heading to Bones Manor." Sirius said.

Sirius stood up and apparated to the gates of the Bones Estate where he would walk the rest of the way to the manor and to bed. The Qualifiers, the meeting with Amelia, and the Rituals had seriously drained the animagus. He made it to the Master Suite and fell in bed. Sleep came moments later.

Upon stepping out the floo, Amelia checked to see if there was any soot on her before removing her traveling cloak. "I left my bag in the office." She muttered. A second later the floo flared to life and her bag came flying out.

"Thank you Arthur." Amelia muttered, knowing that after her Deputy had actually thrown her into the floo he sent her bag. Taffy, her personal elf appeared with a pop.

"May Is bes taking your cloak." Taffy said.

"Thank you Taffy. Is Sirius here?"

"Master Lord Black is in yous suite Mistress." Taffy said.

"How long has he been here?" Amelia asked.

"half an hour or so Mistress. He came in and headed straight to bed." Taffy said.

"Taffy, do not disturb us for the rest of the day except when Susan returns home." Amelia said and headed to her suite. Entering the bathroom from the hallway, Amelia quickly changed out of her robes and into something more comfortable before entering the bedroom. As usual, Sirius was laid spread eagle in bed. Sirius' boots and robes were tossed on the floor and he was snoring, loudly. Lucy was curled up into Sirius' side like always.

Amelia smiled at her mate in bed. _'I know where Susan gets her sleeping habits from now.'_

"How did you get here? I know we left you at Lionfire Hall today." Amelia asked the puppy who rolled over onto her back to allow Amelia the chance to rub her tummy.

"You must've known Sirius needed you." Lucy licked Amelia's hand before curling back into Sirius' side.

Amelia crawled into bed next to Sirius and wrapped her arms around his waist. Sirius moved in his sleep and curled himself around Amelia. With a contented sigh, Amelia closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

She awoke two hours later to find Sirius staring at her lovingly. "Not that I'm complaining, but why are you home?" Sirius asked.

"I thought I might enjoy spending some time with you. I am very proud of you for not killing Crouch on the spot." Amelia said.

"Well that ass did deserve it. You were amazing by the way." Sirius said as he kissed Amelia.

"At least he is out of our lives now." Amelia said. "Arthur and I then talked."

"About what?"

Amelia got out of bed and began to pace the room, waking Lucy up in the process. Lucy crawled into Sirius' lap where he petted her absentmindedly. "Damn it, I've been trying how to tell you this for a month now."

"Tell me what?" Sirius asked. "Is this about Susan being a Black and a Bones as well as more Bones?"

Amelia stopped dead in her tracks and faced him. "How?"

"After I left your office I went to Gringotts to file the paperwork regarding the Blood Feud."

"Sirius, you didn't?"

"Of course I didn't. Only because Harry did as he last act as the Acting Lord Black. I am also now the true Black of Black, per Harry's wishes." Sirius said with a smile.

"Of course." Amelia said.

"From there, I floo'd to Grimmauld Place. I had claim the Black Family properties." Sirius said.

"You are the Black of Black now. The Blacks are members of the Council of Twelve." Amelia said.

"Yep. So when you get in tomorrow, you'll know why the floo network went nuts for a while." Sirius said. "Anyway, while I was there I spoke to Kreacher and took a tour of the house. It is nothing like I remember it."

"Kreacher is keeping up with the workload alright?"

"He is. He hired five more elves for the house to handle the construction. From there he'll send them to other Black holdings and renovate them. Anyway, he busted his butt on the Master Suite himself. He knows the house will probably be a guest house or when I piss you off, but he is still working hard. Anyway we were talking and he mentioned Susan and that he can see magic and said she had Black, Bones, and more Bones' magic."

Amelia sighed and down in one of the chairs by the fireplace in the room. "Sit down Sirius, this will take a while."

Sirius crossed from the bed, moving Lucy, and sat down and waited for Amelia to begin. She poured herself a brandy from the decanter next to her. "In late 1979, I was injured in a Death Eater raid." 

"I remember. It was the one where you took the cutting curse across your chest."

"And my abdomen. I ordered Kingsley not to tell you about how bad it was. And you were on the continent hunting Bellatrix."

"I remember."

"Anyway, Edgar and his wife stayed by my bedside for days. We found out Emily was pregnant with Susan when she passed out cold by not taking care of herself."

"I remember that. She was so happy, wait a minute…" Sirius said, suddenly putting the pieces of the puzzle together. "Oh god Amelia, please don't tell me what I think you're telling me!"

"Susan is not only my niece, but she is my daughter, our daughter." Amelia admitted.

"How? Why?" Sirius said stunned.

"Well when two people love each other so much—" Amelia began.

"AMY!" Sirius yelled.

Amelia sighed, hoping the joke would have worked to diffuse some tension. It failed. "When I was brought in, I was rushed to surgery; Emily performed the surgery to save me and she transferred the fetus I carried into herself. I didn't even know I was two months pregnant. The ritual she used is considered extremely dark—"

"I know it is in one of the tomes in the Black Library." Sirius said.

"But it needed to be done to save Susan and me. When I came to, Emily told me what happened. She originally planned on returning the baby to me once I healed in a few months. But she didn't have the complete spell to do it. We knew that if the truth came out, Emily would be thrown into Azkaban and I would be relieved of duty and the Ancient House of Bones would be dishonored." Amelia said.

"Does Susan know?" Sirius asked.

"No. After Susan was born, Edgar and Emily performed a blood adoption ritual on her, making her their child. After Edgar and Emily were killed and I took custody of Susan, I went to Gringotts and asked that Susan undertake the Inheritance Ritual and Blood Adoption Ceremony."

"Why?"

"I really have no idea on the adoption. But the Inheritance Ritual is self-explanatory. It showed me as her Aunt, though the Goblins at Gringotts knew differently. There was no sign of a Black Inheritance from you."

"Were you ever going to tell me?" Sirius asked.

"I've been trying to tell you for a month, since we first started seeing each again about it and what happened, but I couldn't. I couldn't hurt you again."

"But you did Amelia." Sirius said. "You hurt me when you never told me when you were injured and that Emily saved our baby girl. Then you hurt me again today by telling me the truth."

"Sirius—"

"Let me talk." Sirius raised his hand for quiet. "Emily saved you and Susan all those years ago, for that I am thankful. I would hope that you would tell me about what happened back then."

"November 3rd, 1981 is when I planned on it."

"Our anniversary."

"Yes. It seemed right."

"And now? Why now?"

"Because every girl needs her daddy" Amelia said.

Sirius smiled at Amelia. "And every daddy needs his wife."

"What?"

"Amelia, I understand why you never told me, and I forgive you, on one condition."

"What is it?"

Sirius dropped onto one knee and pulled out a ring box. "Marry me."

"Excuse me?" Amelia said.

"I'll forgive you, as long as you marry me." Sirius said with a straight face. "I'll forgive you if you don't marry me, but I really want to be your husband."

"You're serious!"

"Yes I am." Sirius said, "I am seriously Sirius Orion Black and I am seriously asking the love of my life to marry me. Because I screwed up the first time by going after my brother's killer and wound up being tossed into hell for it."

Amelia did the only thing she could do, she looked at Sirius, then looked at Lucy, and then looked at the ring Sirius had in his hand. "Yes." She whispered.

"Excuse me, I couldn't hear that." Sirius said.

"YES!" Amelia screamed.

Sirius smiled and kissed his new fiancée as she slipped the ring on her finger. "It was my Great Aunt Cassiopeia's ring. Her and my Great Uncle Alphard were the last of the "Good Blacks." I'm lucky Kingsley "borrowed" it from evidence and held onto it for me."

"I'm honored." Amelia said looking at the beautiful ring. "Sirius, do you want a big wedding?"

"Amelia, I don't care. I want to marry you. If you want a big wedding, I'll rent out Westminster Abbey if you want a Christian wedding. Or we can go with a traditional wizarding wedding and rent out Hogwarts." Sirius said.

"What would you prefer?" Amelia asked seriously "Besides marrying me. What do you want in your wedding?"

Sirius, who had been hugging Amelia stood up and crossed to the window that was looking out over the grounds of the Bones Estate and sighed. "I want you there with your best friend as maid of honor. I want James and Remus there in their best robes. I want Lily to be one of your bridesmaids and have Charles and Olivia Potter sitting in for my family."

Amelia know how much Sirius loved the Potters, and even after all these years, and the time spent with the Mind Healer, Sirius still grieved for his adopted family. He turned from the window and smiled at his fiancée and seemed to become a different person then the broody man he had been few seconds earlier.

"However, there are problems with that dream, so I want a better dream. I want you, with Andi as your Matron of Honor, our daughter as Maid of Honor, Dora, Molly, and Ginny Weasley as Bridesmaids. I want Remus to be my Best Man with Ted, Harry, Arthur and Bill as groomsmen. I would love to get married in the Great Hall of Hogwarts or even in the better in the old chapel on the backside of the castle."

"What chapel?" Amelia asked.

"Ravenclaw's husband was a priest before he met Rowena. When they built the school Gryffindor made sure there was a place for Rupert to do his Priestly things."

"Priestly?"

"Don't mock me woman, I'm explaining." Sirius said in mock seriousness.

"Sorry Lord Black." Amelia said.

"According to the journals Charles Potter had shown us as kids, Rupert had studied at the Vatican in Rome for many years before beginning his walkabout, which is where he met Rowena Ravenclaw and fell in love."

"So he was not a Ravenclaw."

"No. He was from what is today Spain. Many years later Gryffindor's Great-Grandson, who was also Ravenclaw's, found where Rupert did his Priestly things and transformed it into a chapel. It fell out of use in the 1400's. James and I found it our second year as we were exploring the grounds one Saturday. It is actually in the Forbidden Forest about 200 yards in, over on the far side of the lake. To my knowledge it is still one of the only religious structures blessed by multiple religions. Christians, Pagans, Jews, and Muslims have all blessed the chapel, knowing full well that it is magical."

"It sounds perfect Sirius." Amelia said.

"What about Andromeda as your Matron of Honor?" Sirius asked.

"We are still best friends."

"Even after the fight you had in school?"

"You remembered that?" Amelia asked. "You weren't even a second year when we had that fight."

"When the one cousin I love more than any other cousin and my secret crush has a knockdown, drag out fight in the Great Hall, I tend to remember. What I don't know is what the fight was about." Sirius said.

"It was something stupid."

"I assumed that then. What in the hell happened?"

"Andi accused me of a being a bigoted pureblood." Amelia said.

"Why?"

"Because I said no to a date with Ted; I was trying to get them together at the time." Amelia said.

Sirius looked at his fiancée for a good thirty seconds before falling over laughing.

"What is so funny?" Amelia demanded.

Sirius continued to laugh, but wandlessly summoned a small mirror from his robes he had worn that day. "Te-d-d-d-d Ted Tonks."

A moment later Ted Tonks appeared on the mirror _"What can I do for you Sirius?"_

"You were right."

"_Aren't I always?"_ Ted said.

"That's beside the point. Amelia and Andi's fight was over you!"

"_I know. Andi told me. She is just too proud to admit to Amelia that she was wrong back then. They made up years ago. Not too long after you decided you needed a vacation in Azkaban."_

"WHAT?!" Sirius said.

"Surprise!" Amelia and Ted said together.

"_Amy, did Sirius finally propose?"_ Ted asked.

"Yes he did." Amelia said.

"_It's about time!" _Ted said.

"You're not surprised by my announcement?" Sirius asked.

"_No. Who do you think told Kingsley about the ring?" Ted said. "Why don't you and the soon to be Lady Black come over for dinner tonight?"_

Sirius looked at the clock on the wall and saw it was still early "How about dinner at six? I need to check and see if Susan will be coming with us."

"_Six it is."_ Ted said before closing his mirror.

"I take it we're going to dinner?" Amelia asked.

"Yep. Where is Susan?"

"She was over at Hannah's. Ernie MacMillian and a couple of other soon to be first years were discussing all the rumors that they've heard about Hogwarts." Amelia said.

"Should we call her home?" Sirius asked.

"It might be a good idea." Amelia said. "I'll call her, you take a shower."

"Do you say I smell?" Sirius asked.

"Like a wet dog that has nightmares." Amelia said. Silently asking if Sirius had a nightmare.

Sirius sighed, "Yes I did. How did Lucy get here anyway? Did you bring her?"

Amelia laughed. "No. She was here when I got here. She must have used magic and came to you because you were in need of her. Now go shower."

Amelia left the room to contact their daughter. Sirius began to strip down and looked over at Lucy. "You're a smart dog Lucy. Now, I am going to take a shower."

Once Sirius was gone, Lucy looked over at a previous invisible person. This person was the spirit of James Potter. "I know Lucy, he's doing better, but he still needs you."

Lucy whined a little, showing her displeasure about something. "There is nothing I can do about his nightmares, you know that. He'll deal with them with Amy's help over time."

Lucy then huffed and settled down, looking at the spirit. "Hey, I am not the Master of Death, I only had one of the hallows, which has allowed me to get you and Sirius together. Now, can you make sure him, Amelia and Susan are protected?"

Lucy looked at James with an almost loathing look, as if saying '_No Shit Sherlock'_. James laughed at the dog before he faded from view and returned to the other side of the veil.


	18. Chapter 17: A Nice Day For Surprises

Chapter 17: A Nice Day For Surprises

"Albus, you cannot try to get me to eat one more thing. As it is I'll have to wear looser robes for weeks while I work today off." Minerva said to her boyfriend/life partner, etc.

"But Minerva, there are still over a hundred different kinds of sweets to try." Albus pleased.

"Plus we drank our way through Soho earlier, and have eaten every different kind of food we came across. I can't take much more Albus. Where are you putting all this food and drink?"

"In my hollow legs my dear." Albus said as he purchased what was his 85th different sweet from this candy store.

For the past week, whenever there was free time, Albus and Minerva were together enjoying each other's company. Often times in the mundane world. Today Albus had decided that they were going to eat their way across England. Remus, Sirius, Nicholas, and Harry had left several suggestions on his desk on where to go and what to try.

"Excuse me, professor?"? A young man said, getting Albus' attention. He was in his early twenties with blonde hair and brown eyes. He was slim, but not thin. He obviously had some sort of athletic abilities.

Albus recognized the young man at once. "Steven Wood. Hufflepuff, Class of 1987." Albus said. "It is a pleasure to see you again. Last I heard you enlisted in Her Majesties Royal Marine Corps."

"I went thru OTS, I am now a Major."

Minerva spoke up at that point. "That is very impressive Mr. Wood. Too be so young and already a Major is quite a feat."

"I know ma'am. Only Kingsley Shacklebolt rose faster than I did through the ranks." Wood said.

"What brings you here to this delectable sweet shop today my boy?" Albus asked.

"Picking up some sweets for my wife; she is seven months along with twins." Wood said "What beings you two out?"

"Well Mr. Wood, it seems that the time has finally come for Professor McGonagall & I to acknowledge our love and begin a new phase of our relationship." Albus said proudly.

"You mean to tell me that you two are now actually dating?" Steven said with a smile. "Wow. We all thought you've been married for years."

"Alas no. This is a very new thing." Albus said as he slipped his hand into Minerva's.

"I'm very happy for you both." Steven finished his purchase and motioned for the couple to follow him. Knowing Minerva needed to get Albus out of there before he ate all the candy, she followed, dragging Albus slightly as he munched on a new lollipop.

"So Mr. Wood, are you still practicing all your skills?" Minerva asked.

Steven quietly led the couple down the street, talking casually. "Yes I am ma'am. And my wife also practices her skills as well. I met her while I was overseas training with the Americans. She was working on her Mastery in Potions and Transfiguration."

"Those are two very different fields. Most people do Charms and Transfiguration and Herbology & Potions." Albus said as he had finished his sweet.

"I know, but my wife is brilliant. Scary, but brilliant" Steven said.

Minerva snorted, already hearing that phrase about another brilliant young woman.

"Will your children be attending Hogwarts?" Minerva asked.

"That's our hope. Especially with the new reforms you've put in place. From what I've read, these will give Hogwarts back the edge that it has lost over the last century to the American & Canadian schools. Plus with my new position, I'll be able to visit my children more if they are in Scotland."

"What new position?" Albus asked.

"I thought you knew, I thought you were my contact sir." Wood said.

"He is not Major, I am." Another voice said as Kingsley Shacklebolt appeared from an alley way.

"Professors" Kingsley said.

"Colonel." Albus replied. "Auror Shacklebolt." Minerva said.

Kingsley nodded and then turned to Major Wood. "Major Wood, why did you think the professor was your contact?"

"I've never seen him or Professor McGonagall in the Mundane World before. I just assumed." Steven said.

"And the lesson to this is?" Kingsley asked.

"That assuming makes an ass out of me." Wood stated.

"Very good. You might be trainable yet." Kingsley said.

"Colonel Shacklebolt, why would the Royal Marines be near Hogwarts?" Albus asked. He suddenly let the image of a happy old man drop and the strong, seasoned warrior appeared. It was this image that Kingsley had not seen in many years from the Headmaster and he was a little uncertain what he was allowed to divulge.

"I am sorry Professor, but I do not believe I am not allowed to tell you yet." Kingsley said.

"I am Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot as well as hold the rank of General in Her Majesties Army, so _Colonel_, what in the hell is going on?"

Being put on notice, Kingsley answered "At the request of the Sovereign, the Lord Protector of the Realm has recruited a number of first generation magicals from the Royal Marines, Army and Navy to train in the art of magical and mundane war." Kingsley said.

"Why?" Albus asked.

"I do not know the full reasoning, but I have some ideas."

"Major Wood, what do you think?" Albus asked.

"I think it is because together there is a lot the Mundane and Magical worlds can accomplish together. Even though I am not mundane born, I live as a mundane for the most part and I see what the benefits are." 

"What about Oliver? How do you feel about your brother wanting to stay in our world and play quidditch?" Minerva asked.

"I always knew that I was would serve my country in the military ma'am. And while Oliver said he would think about it, the first time he got on a broom, he was hooked to Quidditch. Mum and Dad say he has only gotten worse with age." Wood said with a smile.

"Your little brother will become a great captain I hope." Minerva said.

"I wonder why I was not informed? Anything happening hear Hogsmeade and the Forbidden Forest always made it me." Albus said out loud.

"Probably because you are no longer the Stewart of Hogwarts" Minerva said.

"That is a possibility. Since Lord Gryffindor has returned I find myself having more spare time."

"That is not the only reason." Kingsley said. He had been talking on a mobile phone while Steven and Minerva were talking. "Command wanted the main players in place before you were briefed. Major Wood here is the last of them, so I got the clearance to have you come with us, if you have nothing better to do."

Albus and Minerva had a silent conversation and then agreed to join the two men. Kingsley led the small group over a couple of blocks into a subway station. Walking to the far end of the station, Kingsley opened a panel and typed in a code before removing his wand and released an enchantment.

Albus saw that this station was covered in magic the moment they descended the stairs. It actually made him feel a little sick. Even though he was surrounded by magic at Hogwarts, the magic there was not actively trying to confuse him.

"The sickness will pass in a moment. The magic is supposed to be passive, but I assume you can feel magic?" Kingsley asked.

"Yes." Albus said, turning greener.

Kingsley quickly dropped the last enchantment, allowing the door to open. He ushered everyone inside and then closed the door. As soon as the door closed, Albus felt better.

"Welcome to MI7." Kingsley said.

The three magicals looked around and saw that the room they were in was in fact an ante room. Thru a glass wall and door they saw dozens of people working at a variety of tasks. The glass wall opened and a younger man walked through and saluted Kingsley. "Colonel Shacklebolt, General Sliptongue approved the time for the meeting."

Kingsley saluted back. "Thank you Corporeal. Corporeal, I would like you to meet Professor Minerva McGonagall, Major Steven Wood, and General Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, retired."

The young solider saluted both of his superiors with a quick salute.

"At ease Corporeal" Albus said.

"Major Wood will be running Day to Day Operations of MI7 here Corporeal. Could you please show him to the Ops Center and introduce him to Colonel Mann?" Kingsley asked.

"Of course sir. Major?" Steven and the young Corporeal left right away.

"Follow me to the conference room. You can get your answers there." Kingsley escorted the couple into the main room, a huge open space, and up a flight of stairs and into a conference room with glass walls. Standing there in an officer's uniform was a very old friend of Albus and Minerva's, Allan Quatermain.

"Allan?" Minerva asked.

"I haven't been called that name in a very long time Minnie."

"You're supposed to be dead." Albus said.

"And you were supposed to marry Minerva already!"

"General?" Kingsley asked.

"Relax Colonel. At one time, I went by the name Allan Quatermain. Later in my life I was serving in World War II in Germany and was killed by a German Solider in front of Albus here. I came back to life an hour later. The fact is I have been walking this Earth for more than 500 years. I have gone by many names, but for now, I am Lieutenant General Allan West, Commanding Officer of MI7."

"What is the purpose of MI7?" Albus asked.

"MI7 is where the Mundane & Magical Worlds come together to help defend it from all threats." Alan stated.

"Who is in overall command of MI7?" Albus asked.

"The Lord Protector of the Realm and the Sovereign." Said a voice from behind everyone at the doorway to the room; there, leaning against the door stood Harry Potter himself.

"Lord Gryffindor." General West said as he saluted Harry, Kingsley quickly followed.

"At ease gentlemen. Why don't we all take a seat and we can explain in further detail what MI7 is chartered to do." Harry said.

"Agreed." Everyone said, taking a seat.

"King Arthur and his knights had many magicals fighting with them. At least two of the Knights of the Roundtable were magical. Since that time, there have been many magicals fighting for King and Country but never in any organized fashion until now. MI7 is a joint venture between MI5, MI6, the Military and the Department of Mysteries."

"Why not the Ministry?" Minerva asked.

"If the Ministry falls, then it will be our job to secure England. The Ministry for Magic is still weak and if Voldemort or any other Dark Lord could somehow take it over, then we must be ready to fight them." General West said.

"You believe in this Alan?" Albus asked.

"I do. But this is not just a one way street. Magicals are helping the Mundane World as well. In the 30 days MI7 has been up, we have stopped 50 different acts of terrorism on the Commonwealth and her allies. In fact I have a report right now saying that a one-time ally against Communism is planning on attacking an American or British Port in the Middle East." West said.

"Bin Laden and the Taliban?" Harry asked.

"How did you…nevermind, Nicholas told me not to argue with you when it comes to some information. Some sort of sixth sense." West said.

Harry and Albus both laughed internally at this. "One of Godric's daughters was a Seer." Harry said.

West nodded at the explanation. Harry took over the conversation. "The reason why you didn't know Albus, is that this has nothing to do with the Ministry or the Wizengamot. With phases one and two complete, I can bring you in on phase three."

"What is phase three?" Kingsley asked.

"Balmoral Castle is relatively close to Hogwarts. Between the two is where MI7 will train and be based out of." Harry said. "As part of the Checks and Balances system, Albus, you will are hereby reactivated in Her Majesties Army and will serve on the War Council with General West, Kingsley, Myself, and Prince Philip."

"But why?"

"In case of the death of the sovereign, I am empowered to lead MI7 until the new sovereign is crowned."

"What are we preparing for?" Minerva asked.

"Voldemort will return, if our primary plans fail, we must be ready." Harry said. "I have seen in my dreams where Voldemort takes over the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts."

"There is more than this wanker Voldemort to deal with though." West said. "With the help of Magicals, the Mundane World is working on cleaning up a number of their messes. The Middle East, South America, and Africa are hot spots that need attention. MI7 are the attention givers."

"Some of the problems we are going to be dealing with are our own creations. Tom Riddle, Saddam Hussein, Osama Bin Laden, Global Warming, just a few." Harry said.

"It is also our hope that when the Magical World is discovered by the Mundane World, and it will happen one day, MI7 will help bridge the gap between the two worlds." West finished.

"I will accept a position on the War Council." Albus said.

"Good. Now Albus, is there a reason why you and Professor McGonagall seem to be overly chummy?" Harry asked with a smirk.

Minerva threw five stinging hexes wandlessly while hissing at Harry, who was backing away quickly from the animagus. "We are consenting adults and are enjoying each other's company."

Harry smiled even broader. "Can I tell Nick I won the bet then?"

"What bet?" Minerva and Albus asked.

"How long it would take for the two of you to get your heads out of your asses." West said.

"There is a lot of money riding on it. I know most of the Order of the Phoenix had made wagers. Moody and Hestia Jones are the resident bookies." Kingsley said smiling. "I know some of the goblins even wanted in on the action."

"Very well" Minerva said "Tell Nick. Just be glad you are not going to be one of my students. I would enjoy making your life difficult for this."

Harry simply smiled and saluted the Transfiguration Mistress. "_Son of a damn Marauder_" Minerva murmured under her breath.

"What brings you in today Mi Lord." West asked Harry. He knew Harry had other duties to attend to besides, he was 11 years old. There were a million other things he should be doing.

"When Albus crossed the wards, it alerted me. I needed to make sure everything was ok here and get away from Ron and the others for a while. They're watching me like a hawk. It's like they think I'll charge head long into a dangerous situation for some reason all by myself. Now that Albus and Minerva are read in, I think I'll go harass Mackrack for a while. He wanted to try to beat me playing billiards again. Good day everyone." With that Harry disappeared from the room like mist.

Minerva turned to Albus, "Does he do this often?"

"Do what?"

"Pop in and pop out like he is a damn elf." Kingsley asked.

"Yes." Albus and West said.

"Colonel Shacklebolt, why don't you show the General and his…Minerva what shall I call you?" West asked.

"His wife will do." Minerva said. "Or you can call me by my title, Chieftain of the Clan McGonagall."

"When did you become Chieftain?" West asked.

"My eldest brother died in 1943 childless. My father became Chief once again until he passed the title onto me before he died in 1952. Most of the business of the clan is handled by my nephews, but I am the Chieftain of the Clan McGonagall of the Highlands."

"Minerva, is one of your nephews William McGonagall?" Alan asked.

"William the third actually. Why?"

"We've been waiting for him to answer our request for the Highlanders to join MI7 for weeks now."

"I will speak to him about this." Minerva said.

Kingsley led Albus & Minerva on the tour that lasted most of the afternoon and into the early evening. After the tour, they both received their new military credentials; Minerva received a commission as a Brigadier while Albus was promoted to Lieutenant General. Leaving MI7 to Allan West's capable hands, they apparated to Godric's Hollow where Albus had one more surprise for Minerva. They were going to the Dumbledore family home.

Albus had recently had the home rebuilt. It had three stories and eight bedrooms, a large sitting room and a lot of land. Since Albus first became a teacher, he lived in the castle, but decided it was time to live his life again and he wanted to start where so much went wrong.

As the happy couple approached the gates to the home, Albus saw that his brother Abe was standing there waiting for them. Since his return from Nurmengard, Albus had been spending time with Abe, getting to know him and rebuild their relationship. It was slow going, but worth it.

"It looks just like I remember it." Abe said stiffly.

"Close. Certain things are not here. Including that god awful fountain and Gellert's influence." Albus said as he lowered the wards and walked in.

"He really did want our magic, didn't he?" Abe asked. Abe had been trying to come to terms with what Albus had told about why Gellert came into their lives.

"Yes he did Abe." Albus said.

"Why didn't we see it? I saw how he treated you, and what you did. I thought you…" Abe said.

"Had become a flaming faire?" Minerva added, trying not to laugh.

"It was the potions he used. Love potions and binding potions." Albus said.

"He really is dead?" Abe asked as they entered the house.

"And in hell." Albus said flatly.

"Good." Abe and Minerva said.

"You know Albus, I like this woman." Abe said as he began to look around the main floor.

"Your room is upstairs where it used to be." Albus said.

"I'll get to it later. Right now I think there are more important things that need to be handled." Abe said.

"I agree brother. Please, take a seat." Albus said as he led his brother and partner into the sitting room. After summoning a house elf for refreshments, Albus spoke.

"Aberforth. I failed you. I was supposed to keep you and Ariana safe. I failed." Albus said. "And I am so sorry for what it did to you and I. I know we have talked, but I want you to understand I will do everything in my power to have you back in my life."

"You know Albus, you can't fix everything." Aberforth said as he took a long swig of firewhiskey. "But it has always amused me to see you try anyway." Abe smiled a genuine Dumbledore smile at his brother and girlfriend. He then turned serious. "Albus, I'll forgive you for ignoring me when we were young. I even forgive you for the things you and Faire Boy did. But I will never forgive you for not being at my wedding."

"What wedding?" Minerva and Albus asked at the same time.

Abe crossed to the windows and stared out of it as he began to talk about his love life. "I was 17 years old and had no education. I could barely do a lumos spell let only anything useful. I was in America working the docks in New York; I had stowed away six months before to get out of England and away from you."

"Abe."

"Enough Albus. It was my choice not to finish school or do something with my life at the time. Not yours. You cast a very large shadow and I could not stand to live in it anymore. I found out years later that Baroness Flamel had paid off the ship's captain to make sure I was taken care of. She also made sure that I had a place to live. Baroness Flamel told me that they treated both of us like their own blood children. Their children of course already being long gone to the history books by the time we came along."

"I always knew Nicholas treated me differently, I had hoped that wherever you were that you were treated as well I was. Now I find out I was right." Albus said.

"I was working the docks during the day and boxing at night to earn money. Perenelle took care of me, but I had a lot of anger to work through and making some extra money never hurt anyone. I got beat really badly one night and was taken to the magical hospital in New York. It was there that I met her, Eliza Fitzpatrick. Over the course of the next ten months, I did everything I could to see her, including getting beat up more than ever."

"I take it talking to her was out of the question?" Minerva asked.

At the horrified look on Abe's face, Minerva simply shook her head. "You are both too much alike. Continue."

"Finally one night I had enough liquid courage in me to talk to her. I walked into the hospital, saw her talking to a couple of other healers about something, walk over to her, spun her around and kissed her. After getting enervated because she stunned me, we talked and began to date. We married less than a year later." Abe said.

"I have a sister in law?" Albus said.

"Had. She's died in childbirth Albus." Abe said sadly. "She would have loved you Minerva, and you would have loved her. When we first started dating, Eliza made sure I learned magic properly. I learned from many of your mentors Albus, just in private. They saw my potential and agreed to tutor me and Eliza."

"Nicholas and Perenelle arranged it I take it?" Albus asked.

"Yes. Shortly after we started dating Nicholas and Perenelle came to see us in New York. Perenelle explained that she was my benefactor and that she wanted her boys to make up. Eliza agreed and spent the rest of her life working on that goal. She got close a number of times.

"We were married in 1922 and enjoyed the roaring twenties in America to the fullest. When the Great Depression hit, we stayed in New York, but I began to take work that took me away from Eliza for weeks or even months on end. I joined the Unspeakable Corps."

"You were an Unspeakable?" Minerva asked.

"I still am. I am a master in the mind arts and espionage. I spent most of the twenties and early thirties in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. When World War II broke out, I tried return to England and speak to you, but you—"

"Were being an ass; I knew that Gellert was behind the war and I wanted nothing to do with it. Somehow I knew that I would be in the middle of before the war was over." Albus said.

"How did you get into the war Albus? I could never find out." Abe asked.

"One of my students came to me late one night. He was a muggleborn and asked why magic could not stop the bombs from killing his family. I told him I did not know. The next morning I overheard Horace Slughorn and Armando Dippett talking about the war and how we were going to lose because good men were hiding behind rules and regulations. I do not know if they were speaking about me, but I assumed they were. I spoke to Armando that afternoon and left to speak to the Prime Minister shortly after that.

"General Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of all Allied Forces, Gave me my own squadron with Alastor Moody and a few others. We were one of the only pure magical outfits fighting in the war."

"You were also on General Eisenhower's staff, correct?" Minerva asked.

"Yes I was." Albus said.

"Shortly before the end of the war, I was taken prisoner in Japan." Abe said. "I was held for thirty months by some Samurai up in the mountains before I was released. Never once was I tortured or interrogated. They had standing orders from their Emperor to not hurt any magic users. I learned a great deal of magic during those thirty months. When the war ended, I was released and returned to the United States. Seeing the end of the war made me realize that it was time to come home. So I filed for retirement and returned home to England. Eliza agreed with me.

"I bought a small bed and breakfast in Kent and settled into the quiet life. Less than a year after settling here, I learned Eliza was pregnant. When she was almost nine months pregnant, Eliza said it was time to see you, so we apparated to Hogsmeade one night to Hogwarts to see you. Along the way, we were attacked."

"By whom?"

"I thought for ages they were some of your people, but then I saw tattoo on one of their arms and I knew. They were some of Tom Riddle's earliest followers; the Knights of Walpurgis. We killed all ten of them. Eliza took a curse to her stomach in the fight; I apparated straight to the Department of Mysteries where she delivered our baby girl. Less than an hour later, my Eliza was dead. Our home in Kent was destroyed as well. It was a well-organized operation.

"I left Selene, my daughter, with some old friends as I went on the warpath, killing anyone and anything that got in my way. I was going to kill the bastards that killed my wife. I tracked them down to Malfoy Manor. I killed Abraxas Malfoy with a curse the mimic dragon pox. I should have killed his son too. The Knights died off, but Tom;s followers lived on. By this time, Selene was ten years old and wanted to go to Hogwarts; Filius filled her head with stories about the castle."

"Flitwick?" Minerva asked.

"Yes. He was Selene's godfather and an old friend of mine. He raised her for me." Abe said. "With the place in Kent long gone, I decided to but the Hogshead and enrolled Selene using her mother's maiden name."

"That is when you began to spy for me." Albus said.

"Yes. I wanted vengeance and you were a means to the end. Besides, I wanted to be close to Selene and you. So I ran the bar, which soon became a meeting place for Unspeakables. The bar was already a seedy place; the perfect place for certain professors to come and disappear for a while.

"Filius had standing orders that if anything ever happened to me, he would tell you about Selene. I knew you would take care of her, no matter what. And so I settled into my role of bartender and watched as my little girl grew up and fell in love. She married an odd man. And I mean odder than you or I."

"The only man odder than both of you is Xeno Lovegood." Minerva said.

"Yes he is. But he made my little girl happy so I don't care. He is also a brilliant Unspeakable. He worked with ancient artifacts. He knows more about the Deathly Hallows than anyone I've ever met, including you. When he asked me for Selene's hand, we had a frank discussion and I learned that his oddities are just a cover for his work as an Unspeakable." Abe said.

"Xeno, an Unspeakable?" Albus said.

"Yes. And so was Selene Albus. She made me so proud. Until she was killed."

"But the reports were that Selene Lovegood was killed in an accident." Albus said.

"Not true. First, my granddaughter was home. Xeno and Selene would never do anything to harm her. They both retired from the Unspeakables to spend more time with Luna. Selene was working on minor spell research for the Department to fight off boredom when she was killed. Someone had discovered the first cleaning spells invented. Selene was trying to learn where vanished items went."

"That is a question no one has ever answered." Minerva said.

"It is now. Vanished items are sent to a null space void where they are broken down into their base molecules which are released back into the universe." Abe said.

"Huh?" Albus said.

"Later Al. Let me finish this story." Abe said. "Anyway, Selene was also a Natural Spellcaster. The last one in the Dumbledore line was our Great Uncle Richard. There is no way a spell could have gotten away from her. It is impossible, especially _Evenesco_." Abe said.

"What do you mean?" Minerva asked.

"Natural Spellcasters have the ability to harness magic and form it in ways that allow others to get the same results." Albus said.

"Spell Creation."

"Yes Minerva. But with most Spell Creators, they are fighting magic to bend and change into their form. For Naturals, Magic does it without effort. A Natural also can dissipate almost any magic that is cast because of their connection to magic." Abe explained. "Natural Spellcasters are fantastic Cursebreakers."

"So who killed my niece?" Albus asked, his magic flaring as her became angry.

"Who do you think Albus?" Abe asked "The same asshole that killed the Potters. Or at least some of his minions. Only an Unspeakable could penetrate the wards around the Rook."

"The Rook?" Minerva asked.

"Xeno & Selene's home. It is a sentry tower for Avalon." Abe said.

"Rookwood." Albus said. "Augustus Rockwood killed my niece!"

"That's what I always thought. He was the only Unspeakable who could not look me in the eye at her funeral. He was arrested a few days later. The Ministry would not let us handle him. '_He had valuable information about the Death Eaters'_ they said. So they tossed him into Azkaban. Jackasses." Abe said.

"Does Luna know that you're Albus' brother?" Minerva asked.

"Yes, along with all of our history; our family history and our more recent personal history. She is determined to break the curse."

"What curse?" Minerva asked.

"There is a rumour that the Dumbledore women have short lifespans due to a curse. It seems to be true. Selene, Eliza, Arianna, our mother died well before their time. According to Luna, she speaks to Arianna, her grandmother, and mother in her dreams often. It is one of the reasons why I decided to bury the hatchet with you. Eliza wanted it done still." Abe said. "According to Luna, Eliza was very upset that I hadn't done it yet."

"Uncle Albus…" Albus said out loud with a small smile.

"Luna will not call you that in public. She does not call me Grandpa in public either. It is safer that way. Selene was killed because she would not turn to the dark side, not because of her relationships to us. However if someone learned you or I had family left, they would be targeted. Which is why Luna and Xeno stay away; Xeno is still running the Quibbler because he needs something to do in his life. His expeditions are normally to check in with the Unspeakables and for me to have some time with Luna."

"Abe…What can I do to help you and Luna?" Albus asked.

Abe smiled. "You're well on your way Al. Killing Gellert, telling me the truth about back then, finally doing something about your attraction to Minnie, and of course covering for Harry Potter and Hormone Weasley."

"Excuse me?" Albus asked.

"I am an Unspeakable Albus. I knew the moment Harry Potter and Hermione Weasley come back thru time. We did not know who at time, but when Mistress Unspeakable Athena showed up, we paid attention and I put two and two together. Relax Albus, I only want to help them." Abe said as he noticed Albus loosen his hold on his wand. Abe knew Albus could take him in a duel, no matter how skilled he was and was glad his brother was listening to reason.

"So how about some dinner?" Abe said. "I have a million stories about my girls to share with both of you."

Albus sighed, knowing he needed to speak to Harry soon, and followed his brother and soon-to-be-wife to the kitchen to see what there was for dinner.


End file.
